Staff who administered expired vaccines suspended

Vilimale' Hospital has suspended some employees following the case of administering expired vaccines to children.

Vilimale' Hospital, which operates under Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), had administered MR vaccine and a BOPV vaccine which had expired in January this year. MR and BOPV are among the most common vaccines given.

IGMH media official stated that the employees involved in the case have now been suspended. However, the official did not disclose the number of staff and their involvement.

IGMH said in a statement yesterday that it is investigating the matter in collaboration with Health Protection Agency (HPA). The hospital assured that strict action will be taken against those who were involved in the matter and that the incident will not be repeated in the future.

Vaccination at Vilimale' hospital has been temporarily discontinued.

The matter was brought to public attention by Vilimale' MP Ahmed Usham.

He said that complaints were received from the public regarding the administration of expired vaccines to children. Usham said that this is a very serious issue and that the government needs to clarify the incidence.

According to the website of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if an expired vaccine is administered, it must be re-administered. However, if the expired dose is a live virus vaccine, the recipient must wait for at least four weeks to repeat it. However, if identified on that day, the dose can be repeated on the same day.