Infant Dies Day After Receiving DPT Vaccine, Says Dad; Health Worker Suspended Over Negligence

An 8-month-old boy in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand died a day after he received a vaccine over the weekend, the child's family claimed.

The unnamed infant was given the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccine in the village of Luto Saturday, the Times of India reported, citing a complaint filed to Katkamdag police by the child's father, Rameshwar Rana.

After the administration of the vaccine, the child's condition deteriorated and he died while on the way to Hazaribag Medical College and Hospital the following day, according to the outlet.

The brand of the DPT vaccine and the child's official cause of death were not disclosed.

Additionally, it was unclear if Rana's son had any pre-existing conditions before his death, which reportedly sparked protests from locals Monday.

The health worker who administered the vaccine, identified as Sunita Kumari, was suspended after Rana claimed his son died of medical negligence, Hazaribag civil surgeon Dr. S.P. Singh said.

An investigation into the incident has been ordered, according to the doctor.

A panel under Dr. Yogendra Choudhary, which Singh is a part of, later visited Luto village to collect evidence for the probe.

The team has been directed to submit its report to the civil surgeon.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said DTaP vaccines — a newer version of the DPT vaccine — are "safe and effective," but they "can have side effects."

"The most common side effects are usually mild and go away on their own," the agency said.

The CDC further explained that "as with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death."

The agency, however, claimed that "a decision not to immunize a child also involves risk and could put the child and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of contracting a potentially deadly disease."

A similar incident happened to a 19-year-old man in the state of Madhya Pradesh when he died 48 hours after receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The man, identified as Shubham Parmar, received his anti-coronavirus jab at a village on Nov. 6, but he died at Sehore's district hospital two days later after he was admitted due to uneasiness and vomiting.