Bhubaneswar, April 25: The Orissa government has suspended its measles immunisation programme scheduled to start from April 30, after reports came in of four children dying in Tamil Nadu following the vaccine administration.

However, drives for other diseases will be conducted according to schedule, said state health secretary T.K. Pandey. Pandey added that the drive, which is a part of a routine immunisation programme held every Wednesday, was stopped indefinitely after a Centre instruction. Necessary instructions have been issued to all chief district medical officers across the state to stop the programme immediately.

The health secretary, however, asked people to not panic and participate in the on-going routine immunisation sessions.

“But, they should refrain from the measles vaccine,” he added.

Orissa received 2.30-lakh vaccine vials (batch number MES-01/08 and MES-02/08) in March 2008 from the Hyderabad-based India Immunological Institute that had supplied it to Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu received the MES-07/08 batch vaccines.

Of the some 2.30-lakh vials, 96,500 are in the capital, while the rest has been send to districts where orders have already been issued to stop use. Last year, the state received 6-lakh vaccine vials from Serum Institute of India and no casualty was reported. Paediatric specialist Aurobindo Mohanty explained that measles vaccines are required to be stored at a temperature of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. If this cold chain is not maintained, vaccines may turn toxic. Few days ago, Orissa chapter of Indian Paediatric Association had alleged private clinics and nursing homes were not maintaining the cold chain.

Responding to it, the state health secretary said the drugs controller has been instructed to check.

Orissa has been one of the leading states in terms of total immunisation programme. As many as 73 per cent of the state’s children have been covered under the programme as against an all-India coverage of 53 per cent.