President calls for report on Rubella vaccine death

(March 20, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The President has called for an immediate report on the death of a student who died after being administered with the Rubella vaccine.

The Presidential Media Unit said that the President has already instructed to stop the vaccination programme with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, the President has decided that Rs. 500,000 be paid from the President’s Fund as compensation on behalf of the student.

Peshala Hansanee, a student of the St. Thomas’Girls High School in Matara, died in Matara hospital due to an allergic condition developed after being administered with the Rubella vaccine.

Meanwhile, a heated argument took place in Parliament today over the death of a student who succumbed to the worsening allergic condition due to the Rubella vaccine she was administered with.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JVP) wanted to know whether such vaccines are finally sent out to schools to evade an audit query when large stocks of medicine remain unused.

He also questioned whether the Ministry of Education had made a request to administer the vaccine.

Minister of Health, Nimal Siripala de Silva said that he had already requested the WHO to give him a report after conducting an investigation in that regard. He added that if there had been mistakes, disciplinary action would be taken.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Susil Premjayanth said that a project had been in place to administer the Rubella vaccine to 300 students at St. Thomas’ Girls High School in Matara.

However he noted that he had requested the project to be suspended until investigations were complete.

-Sri Lanka Guardian