Breaking News – there is a measles epidemic in Samoa (see below).
Many people remember that two young children died in Samoa in early July, shortly after getting an MMR vaccine.
Both incidents happened on the same day in the same hospital on the island of Savai’i.
“Until the investigations have been completed and reported on we cannot say what did happen.
However, given the batch of vaccine involved had been in use in that country since August last year, and given the same batch of vaccine has been used in South American countries and the Caribbean island nations without incident, it seems unlikely that there was anything wrong with the vaccine.
The reports from the parents of the children affected on Friday indicate the reactions occurred within minutes after vaccination. This would preclude a response to the vaccine viruses as this takes at least a week. While anaphylaxis occurs within minutes and can be fatal when not treated the odds of seeing this twice in a day at the same place, given a chance of 1 in a million doses, is literally astronomical.”
Dr. Helen Petousis Harrison on What happened in Samoa?
And while many people have speculated on what had happened, we didn’t get much new information until the Attorney General Lemalu Herman Retzlaff issued a press statement:
It can be confirmed that one of the nurses involved with the vaccination injections of the two babies who passed away 6th July 2018, was charged by police on Saturday 4th August 2018. She is set to appear in Court 14th August 2018, where the charges will be confirmed publicly.
According to AG Lemalu, “the file was referred to this office for advice last week, after swift and hard-working investigations by the CID section of the Ministry of Police both in Apia and Savaii, which is to be commended.”
“And the decision to charge was thereafter supported by advice; and it is also confirmed by Police, that investigations are still active and on-going.”
Both nurses have now been charged and both have entered not guilty pleas to charges of manslaughter, negligence and conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.
A trial is set for January 21 June 2019.
Apparently though, an ongoing investigation into the deaths of the two toddlers that had been adjourned until September 12, 2018 as they were still waiting on the the post mortem reports from the pathologist in Australia, has been suspended even further.
“The inquiry into the deaths of two babies in Samoa has been suspended until further information is available from post mortem results”
Delays in Samoa deaths inquiry
So, we still don’t know what happened.
Were the vaccines contaminated somehow?
Was an error made?
Why were the nurses charged with manslaughter? Many think the main issue is that the nurses continued to use the MMR vaccine even after the first baby died.
“This particular vaccine batch lot arrived to Samoa in August 2017 and has been in use since then. The same vaccine batch lot used in Samoa is also in use in a number of South American and Caribbean countries (Belize, Ecuador, St. Vincent, Trinidad Tobago, Chile, Aruba, Dutch Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis and Cuba) with no reports of adverse events from those countries.”
Government of Samoa – Ministry of Health Press Statement
Whatever happened, it is important to remember that these kinds of tragedies are very rare and that vaccines are safe.
There certainly doesn’t seem to be a good reason to continue to halt all vaccinations in Samoa!
“This stop order is for the M.M.R. to be put on hold for the time being until the case and the investigation are completed,” said Tagaloa.
“But in relation to other vaccines, the ministry did not have any stop order on this. We advise that the other vaccination still continue, especially the vaccinations relating to newborns.”
He added the stop order in question was issued by the National Health Service (N.H.S.) and it involves all vaccinations from the day of the incident.
“But we have already advised them to continue with the other vaccines except for the M.M.R. vaccinations.”
Order to stop immunisation only for M.M.R.
Vaccinations in Samoa, except for MMR, did resume already thanks to a push by their Nurses Association.
And MMR vaccinations were restarted on April 15.
“On 4 June 2019, both nurses pleaded guilty to negligence causing manslaughter. On 2 August, both nurses were sentenced to five years in prison. During the sentencing hearing, it was confirmed that one of the nurses mixed the MMR vaccine powder with expired muscle relaxant anaesthetic instead of water for injection supplied in a vial with the vaccine. “
Infant deaths in Samoa a tragic outcome from error preparing MMR vaccine
Unfortunately, measles has now returned to Samoa.
There is a rise in cases and at least one death, an unvaccinated toddler, as an epidemic has been declared in Samoa.
More on Samoa Vaccine Tragedy
- Vaccination Tragedies are Rare
- Measles epidemic declared in Samoa
- Infant deaths in Samoa a tragic outcome from error preparing MMR vaccine
- Samoan nurses jailed over deaths of two babies who were given incorrectly mixed vaccines
- Baby deaths caused by incorrect vaccination procedure – Samoa health ministry confirms
- Reassurances to Samoans from expert – MMR vaccinations are safe
- Samoa MMR vaccinations to resume on April 15
- Nurse charged after two babies die shortly after receiving MMR vaccine in Samoa
- Nurse charged over baby deaths in Samoa
- Nurse charged over Samoan baby MMR vaccination death
- Government of Samoa – Ministry of Health Press Statement
- What happened in Samoa?
- Medical error likely cause of Samoa baby deaths – vaccinologist
- TV1 Samoa Vaccine Specialist bound for Samoa
- Cook Islands lift hold on MMR vaccine, after deaths of two babies in Samoa
- Samoa vaccine story – tragedy abused by anti-vaccine websites
- Second nurse faces manslaughter charge over vaccination deaths
- Delays in Samoa deaths inquiry
- Nurses’ trial date set for January 2019
- Order to stop immunisation only for M.M.R.
- Nurses Association pushes for vaccination
- Restart of Samoa vaccination programme urged
Last Updated on October 16, 2019