Cuban medical authorities say vaccine did not cause a baby's death

Cuban medical authorities assured the triple viral vaccine PRS did not cause the death of a baby nor affected another four babies, and the case is being studied in the island.

Doctor Roberto Alvarez, head of the Mother and Baby Department of the Ministry of Public Health, stated to digital website Cubadebate that 'as investigations have advanced, the event is not associated with the use of this vaccine because it has been applied on another 43 thousand 630 children in the island.

He said the problem has been focused on five children vaccinated in the polyclinic Betancourt Neninger of East Havana municipality, in the Havana province.

Nevertheless, he added that the investigating commission continues the inquiries.

He explained that from the moment they perceived the gravity of the first two babies, a ministerial commission was appointed to investigate the causes of the severe reaction to their immunization with PRS, a vaxccine that should protect them against mumps, rubeola and measles.

As of that moment, measures were taken to reinforce medical attention on the affected children and the increase of their surveillance by doctors and nurses, in the health area where the babies were vaccinated.

An alert was passed to the rest of the provinces to momentaneously retain the use of the lot with which the minors were vaccinated and the ministerial commission to investigate and clear the event.

The director general of the Center for State Control of Pharmaceuticals, Equipment and Medical Devices (Cecmed), Rafael Pérez, said the vaccine injected is imported from India and due to this medicine three serious illnesses have been eliminated in this country.

He stressed that national authorities have the responsibility to verify that the arrival of the vaccines to the country is correct, that it maintains its conditions and is safe to be used.

'And that is what Cecmed does before determining the approval of the lot', stressed the executive.