Teenaged girl dies minutes after receiving tetanus & diphtheria booster shot; probe launched to ascertain exact cause of death

Nashik: A detailed investigation, including viscera analysis, has been initiated into the death of a 17-year-old girl from Kamatwade in Nashik who passed away shortly after receiving a tetanus and diphtheria booster shot at the Dakshinmukhi Hanuman Temple vaccination centre, operated under the Kamatwade urban primary health centre, on Wednesday.Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) medical officer Dr Vijay Devkar said the girl, Shravani Patil, had visited the centre with her father for the booster dose. “While returning home around 12.40pm, just minutes after vaccination, she complained of dizziness, collapsed on the street and lost consciousness,” he said.Her family rushed her to a nearby private hospital, from where she was referred to the District Civil Hospital.

Doctors there, however, declared her dead on arrival. Dr Devkar said, “The exact cause of her death remains unclear for now. Clarity will emerge only after detailed forensic findings, including viscera analysis from the Nashik Forensic Laboratory and histopathology (examination of tissue biopsies) reports from the Govt Hospital and Training Institute in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

”The medical officer said all the people who received doses from the batch were immediately contacted, but none reported any adverse effects.

“The vial used for Shravani was administered to six individuals, including four pregnant women, a 10-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl. All of them remain stable and symptom-free,” he said.The girl’s family, comprising father Anil Patil, brother Shyam Patil and uncle Sunil Patil, has alleged medical negligence and demanded a thorough and transparent investigation, along with strict action against those responsible.

“As a precaution, we have suspended the use of the entire vaccine batch. The specific vial administered to Shravani has been seized and sent for laboratory testing. The vaccine is part of a nationwide immunisation programme and is supplied by Centre.

The Kamatwade centre had received 24 vials, of which 12 were used to vaccinate around 120 people,” Dr Devkar said.An Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) Committee meeting was convened at the district civil surgeon’s office to review the case. Civil surgeon Dr Satish Shimpi confirmed that samples from the vaccine batch would also be sent to the Central Drugs Laboratory for detailed analysis.