Girl, 17, dies hours after tetanus vaccine dose in Nashik; batch put on hold

NASHIK: A 17-year-old girl died shortly after receiving a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster vaccine dose during an immunisation drive in Nashik, prompting health authorities to launch multiple inquiries into the incident.The teenager, Shravani Patil, was administered the vaccine on Wednesday afternoon as part of a vaccination campaign in the city's Khutwadnagar area, her father Anil Patil said.According to the family, Shravani began feeling dizzy soon after receiving the shot and collapsed. She was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared her dead, as reported by news agency PTI.Her relatives have alleged that the vaccine caused her death and have demanded strict action against those found responsible.Police said the immunisation programme was conducted by the Nashik Municipal Corporation's health department. An accidental death case has been registered at Ambad police station, and further investigation is underway.Officials said a post-mortem examination has been conducted and viscera samples preserved for forensic analysis. The final report is expected to determine the exact cause of death.Nashik Municipal Corporation Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Vijay Devkar said teams from the civic body, as well as state and central health authorities, will investigate the case.

As a precautionary measure, the entire vaccine batch used during the drive has been withdrawn from use.Devkar added that representatives associated with the World Health Organisation-supported vaccination programme have also sought details of the incident. Samples from the vaccine vial administered to Shravani have been collected for testing.Health officials noted that six people received doses from the same vial, but no adverse reactions were reported among the other recipients.Authorities said they are awaiting forensic and laboratory reports before drawing conclusions about the cause of the teenager's death.