The FIR, however, does not mention any names, police sources said here on Sunday.
While the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a magisterial probe into the deaths, a team from the Union Health Ministry was due to arrive in the city later in the evening to conduct a probe.
Six employees of the Mohanlal Ganj Primary Health Centre, including a medical superintendent, have been suspended after the tragedy, official sources said.
Meanwhile, initial investigation into the tragedy suggests that the children might have died of anaphylactic shock or a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine. “The children could have been saved had there been life-saving drugs with the health officials,” sources said. They pointed out that the vaccines were administered by auxiliary nurse midwives and there was no doctor present at the camps.
The incident could seriously jeopardise the immunisation drive in the state, which already has a very poor track record in undertaking vaccination programmes. The pulse polio campaign had also faced difficulties following reluctance of the parents to have their children inoculated in many parts of the state.
Four children died and another fell seriously ill allegedly after being vaccinated against measles at the state health department’s immunisation camps at Mohanlal Ganj area, about 25 kilometres from here.
The children allegedly fainted soon after being vaccinated and were rushed to the primary health centre from where they were referred to Lucknow after their condition deteriorated.
Angry villagers later held several PHC officials hostage demanding action and compensation to the families. They could be rescued only after senior officials and police reached the spot.
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