Children Given Insulin Injection Instead of Vaccine

Trivandrum, India, Feb. 23 2003 (INS News) -- More than 200 children were rushed to hospitals in Trivandrum after being injected with insulin instead of Hepatitis B vaccine.

The incident occurred in the Primary Health Centres in Kalliyoor area of Nemom in the Trivandrum district. According to sources, the children were injected with Insulin instead of the vaccine.

The hospitals sources later said that the children are out of danger. However, most of them are kept under observation, they said. The blood samples of the children have also been taken for further investigation.

Six persons including the doctor of the centre have been suspended in connection with the incident.

The mistake was identified immediately after the medicine was administered and the Public Health authorities themselves took initiative to rush the children to the hospitals.

-- Sam Asharaf - South Asia Correspondent in Trivandrum, India
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