A three-month-old boy died soon after being administered oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops in Bhimra village, Kangti mandal, Sangareddy district, as reported by Telangana Today. Health authorities have launched investigations, and the final postmortem report is waited for identifying the cause of the death.
The infant who died was the fourth child of Swarna Latha and Umakanth. Shortly after ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers administered the polio drops in Bhimra village, Kangti mandal, the baby began crying and vomiting, and later stopped breathing. Parents claimed the baby fell ill immediately following the vaccination. The infant was taken to a private doctor and later taken to Kangti Primary Health Centre (PHC), where clinicians declared him dead around 2:15 pm. Authorities shifted the body for a postmortem examination (PME), and samples (including stomach contents) have been sent for analysis.
The District Medical Health Officer (DMHO) suggested that the death may have been due to a laryngeal spasm (tightening of the throat) causing aspiration of food into the lungs after initial investigations but emphasized that the final cause is unconfirmed pending laboratory and pathological findings. Officials also noted that 108 children had been vaccinated from the same vial in the same booth, and none of them reported adverse reactions.
Local police have registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and are reviewing the vaccination protocols, cold-chain maintenance, and handling of the vaccine dose.
India launched its Pulse Polio Immunization Programme in 1995 under the National Immunization Day (NID) model, administering Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to all children under five in mass “pulse” rounds. This strategy was part of India’s commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, begun in 1988.
Through repeated vaccination campaigns, robust surveillance, and high vaccination coverage, India interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus. The last confirmed case of wild poliovirus in India was in January 2011. In March 2014, the World Health Organization certified India (and the wider South-East Asia Region) as polio-free.
Despite achieving polio-free status, India continues periodic pulse polio rounds to guard against importation of poliovirus and ensure immunity is sustained, especially in border areas and among migrant populations.
Vaccines, like all medical interventions, carry a very small risk of adverse events. The oral polio vaccine has been used for decades globally and is generally safe. However, rare adverse events (such as vaccine-associated paralytic polio) are known and are addressed under vaccine safety surveillance systems.
The fact that no other children vaccinated from the same vial exhibited adverse symptoms may suggest an isolated event, but investigators will examine all variables to rule out vaccine batch defects, handling errors, or coincidental illness.
India’s polio eradication success owes much to trust built in communities, rigorous monitoring, and accountability. In incidents such as this, detailed inquiry and timely communication are key to preserving that trust and ensuring vaccine safety.
(Rh/Eth/TL)
