Toddlers given wrong vaccine<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The anti-polio drive (PIN) in Riau got off to a
\nblunderous start as 224 toddlers in Tangkerang Timur subdistrict
\nwere mistakenly given the wrong vaccine.<\/p>\n
Health officials here admitted to Tuesday's mixup saying that
\ntetanus toxoid vaccines were dropped into the toddlers' mouths
\ninstead of polio vaccines.<\/p>\n
The tetanus vaccines were originally intended for mothers.<\/p>\n
But health officials were quick to deny that any negative side
\neffects would occur.<\/p>\n
\"There won't be any negative effects as a result of the
\nincident,\" head of PIN's central committee, Dr. Broto Wasisto,
\ntold The Jakarta Post here yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said the small amount of tetanus vaccine given to the
\ntoddlers would pass through the digestive system without any
\nharm.<\/p>\n
\"There isn't any problem with the toddlers now,\" he said,
\nadding that the committee had asked some pediatricians to assist
\nwith the treatment.<\/p>\n
Separately a pediatrician at Pondok Indah Hospital when asked
\nby the Post also said there should be no direct side effects as a
\nresult of the mistake and that the vaccine should not be
\ndangerous to the children.<\/p>\n
However, he expressed amazement that such a mistake occurred
\ngiven that the type of bottles containing the vaccines were very
\ndifferent.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the polio vaccine's bottle included a
\ndropper since it had to be administered orally while the tetanus
\nvaccine did not because it was meant to be injected.<\/p>\n
Secretary-general of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hidayat
\nHardjoprawito, explained that the mistake was due to the
\n\"carelessness\" of volunteers at the immunization post.<\/p>\n
He said an investigation was currently underway.<\/p>\n
Legislator Oelfah AS Harmanto expressed horror saying she
\ndeeply regretted the incident.<\/p>\n
The Golkar legislator, who is deputy chairperson of House
\nCommission VIII for social welfare, said the government along
\nwith the community should pay more attention to avoid similar
\nmistakes.<\/p>\n
Tuesday was the start of a national two-phase anti-polio
\ncampaign aimed at immunizing 21.9 million toddlers aged under
\nfive years old.<\/p>\n
It is the third and final round of free polio vaccinations
\nwith the ultimate objective of making Indonesia polio-free by
\n2000.<\/p>\n
Along with the polio vaccinations, women between 19 and 39
\nyears old will be given tetanus vaccinations.<\/p>\n
The second phase of the campaign will start Oct. 7. (09)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/toddlers-given-wrong-vaccine-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }