Baby wrongly given MMR jab in GP blunder

February 12, 2006

I wonder how often this happens without anyone knowing? And I wonder why a

7wo was getting a diphtheria shot anyway?

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RUSSELL JACKSON

A BABY who was taken to a doctor's surgery in Edinburgh for a routine

diphtheria injection was wrongly given the MMR vaccine, it was reported last

night.

The seven-week-old boy was given the measles, mumps and rubella jab, which

is not usually administered to children until they are 12 months old, at the

Durham Road Medical Group surgery on 31 January.

A statement from the GP, lind Wight, said: " We have apologised to the

foster parents who brought the child to the surgery for the jab. The mistake

was recognised straight away and the manufacturers were contacted. We were

told the child's health would not be compromised and that additional

treatment would not be necessary.

" The foster parents have since been back to the surgery, where the child has

been checked and is in good health. "

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that a woman treated at a ish hospital

died a day after she was mistakenly given medicine intended for another

patient.

Barbara Maguire, 51, was admitted to Glasgow's Stobhill Hospital with a

stomach complaint in 2004.

She was placed in an emergency ward bed vacated earlier by a female patient.

Miss Maguire, of Glasgow, received medicine intended for the previous

patient and died within 24 hours.

NHS Greater Glasgow confirmed the error yesterday. A spokesperson said the

matter had been reported to the procurator-fiscal's office, and in the past

week a final report was submitted detailing the action taken to prevent such

an event occurring again.

Last updated: 13-Feb-06 01:39 GMT

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