As many as 25 students who reportedly fell ill after administering of Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination at Sahabad ME Madrassa under Katlicherra revenue circle of Hailakandi district in southern Assam were not due to adverse events following immunization.
This was confirmed by the district immunization officer, Dr K Thambalsena while disclosing that the students who were reportedly taken ill after administering of MR vaccine were not due to adverse events following immunization but due to anxiety and hysteria induced by injection fear.
Also read: 25 students taken ill in Hailakandi after MR vaccination
The district immunization officer also said the adverse events following immunization symptoms generally associated with MR vaccine such as rashes were not seen in Saturday’s incident.
“Medical examination of the students who were taken ill shows that it was not due to MR vaccination but due to anxiety and hysteria induced by the fear factor of being injected,” she added.
Joint Director, Health Services, Dr Avijit Basu, who rushed to the site of the incident and personally monitored the whole situation, categorically stated that had it been adverse events following immunization, all the 120 students being vaccinated at the school would have fallen ill.
The health authorities of the district have asked the people not to panic as MR vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) is highly safe with an impassioned plea to extend support and cooperation to the ongoing MR vaccination campaign in the days ahead.