92 people hospitalized after measles vaccination

[Guest guest]

East Ukraine

http://en.rian.ru/world/20080518/107670116.html

" KIEV, May 18 (RIA Novosti) - A total of 92 people, including 87 children, were

hospitalized in eastern Ukraine as of early Sunday after measles vaccination,

Ukraine's emergencies ministry said.

On May 13, a 17-year-old boy died after measles inoculation in the Donetsk

Region. Two days later, over 60 people in eastern Ukraine were hospitalized

after vaccination. A total of over 20,000 people in the region received the same

vaccine.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko said he was concerned over the teenager's

death and demanded from the Ukrainian health ministry to take all measures to

prevent such instances in the future. "

By now, measles immunization has been halted in Ukraine.

Posted - 05/19/2008 : 18:50:52

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Here's some more on that story:

http://www.russiatoday.ru/features/news/24941

May 19, 2008, 17:33

Ukraine halts deadly vaccination

The Ukrainian Ministry of Health has called a moratorium on mandatory

vaccination against measles and rubella. The President of Ukraine, Viktor

Yushchenko, has insisted that vaccination is carried out on a voluntary basis

only. This comes after more than 100 pupils were taken to hospital, one of whom

died after having been injected with a vaccine from India.

Last week Ukraine was shaken by the news of a teenager’s death. Senior pupil

Anton Tishchenko died in intensive care in a hospital in the city of Kramatorsk

in Donetsk Region after he’d been given the vaccine against measles and rubella

(Tresivac ZA 26-X). Later, dozens more teenagers who’d received the same

medication were rushed to hospital in Kramatorsk alone. Similar situations were

reported in the cities of Donetsk, Kharkov and Kremenchug amongst others.

By Friday night a total of 87 people had been admitted to hospital with the same

symptoms: high blood pressure, splitting headache, high temperature and sore

throat.

Medical officials urged journalists not to spread “unverified frightening

stories”. They said that the vaccine from the Indian enterprise Serum Institute

of India, which had been delivered to Ukraine as humanitarian aid by UNICEF, is

not just safe but considered to be “the best in the world”. They said this

vaccine was certificated and registered in Ukraine, but never showed the above

mentioned documents to the citizens.

Schoolmates of the deceased Anton Tishchenko say they were told that the

vaccination was obligatory and urgent. Therefore many of them did not even have

the time to inform their parents about the vaccination.

”We’ll do everything not to lose any more lives,” said Vasily Knyazevich, the

head of the Ministry of Health. In turn, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko

has ordered a thorough investigation into the purchasing process of the

medication.