The death of a three-month-old infant in Bheempra village of Kangti mandal was not caused by the Pulse Polio vaccine, clarified Sangareddy District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr. Naga Nirmala.
Soon after the incident, District Collector directed Narayankhed Sub-Collector Uma Harathi and DMHO Dr. Naga Nirmala to investigate the case. A detailed inquiry was conducted by the District Medical Department and Kangti Primary Health Centre (PHC).
According to the report, the infant, son of Swarnalatha from Bheempra village, was administered two oral polio drops at the local immunization booth around 12:00 p.m. on October 12. The child was kept under observation for 30 minutes and showed no abnormal symptoms during that period.
After reaching home, the parents reportedly fed the baby bottled milk. Around 1:00 p.m., the child began crying continuously and vomited once. The parents rushed back to the polio booth, where the ASHA worker advised immediate medical attention at the Kangti PHC. However, they first consulted a private doctor in Kangti at around 2:00 p.m. The doctor found the infant unresponsive, with bluish lips and froth at the nostrils, and declared him dead at approximately 2:15 p.m.
Following persuasion by health officials, the parents consented to a post-mortem at Narayankhed Area Hospital. Preliminary findings indicated that the cause of death was likely laryngeal spasm — a throat contraction that led to aspiration of milk into the lungs, resulting in asphyxia. The stomach contents were sent for laboratory examination, and the final forensic report is awaited.
Officials further clarified that 108 other children in the same village received polio drops from the same vial, and no adverse reactions were reported.
Based on available evidence, authorities concluded that the death was not related to the vaccine, but likely due to choking and respiratory failure caused by milk aspiration. The final report will be submitted upon receipt of the forensic results.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
