- Two families in Meru County are grappling with devastating grief after their infants died moments after being vaccinated
- The two had been taken for what was meant to be a standard immunisation against measles, mumps and rubella at a local clinic
- The tragic incident prompted urgent investigations by health officials and police into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy
Two young mothers are united in grief after their infants died moments after receiving routine immunisation in Meru County.
Source: Getty Images
It all started when Alice Muthoni and Belinda Gatwiri took their nine-month-old babies, Bridget Zawadi and Reagan Mwiti, to Rosmegg Medical Clinic in Kangeta for the standard measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
How Meru infants died
Nation reports that the milestone meant to safeguard their children’s health turned into a tragedy that has shaken their families and the local community.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner 😉
According to Meru County Health Executive Dr Dennis Mugambi, both infants died shortly after receiving the measles vaccine at the facility.
Read also
Tharaka Nithi mum speaks after son goes viral for hilariously giving directions to boda boda rider
Their bodies now lie at Nyambene Level Four Hospital mortuary, awaiting postmortem examinations as health officials and police launch investigations into the incident.
Family members say the two babies were healthy and had previously received routine immunisations without incident.
Mother recalls infant’s last moments
On the day in question, Friday, April 10, they were attended to by two medics and injected almost simultaneously.
Belinda Gatwiri, Zawadi’s mother, recalled the terrifying moments that followed. She said her daughter began gasping for breath almost immediately after the injection, before collapsing.
“My child was the first to receive the jab from a male nurse,” she recounted. “Immediately after, she started convulsing and was rushed to another room.”
Pius Thuranira, an uncle to Reagan, said the boy also showed signs of distress within moments. His eyes reportedly turned red, and he began struggling to breathe while kicking his legs in apparent discomfort.
Police were called to clinic
As panic spread, both infants were taken into a separate room by medical staff. But the families say their attempts to follow or get information were blocked.
Read also
Married man who left home for work dies while guarding girlfriend’s maize overnight
“The health workers locked themselves inside as they attended to the children,” Gatwiri said. “We could not see what was happening. We were left outside with no answers.”
Growing increasingly alarmed, the families called the police, who forced entry into the room. It was then, they say, that the devastating truth emerged: both children had died.
The grieving mother questioned why the medic waited until the police came for them to reveal what had happened.
Source: Getty Images
Meru County suspends vaccines
In the wake of the incident, the Meru County Government has suspended the specific batch of measles vaccines used that day and halted all vaccination services at Rosmegg Medical Clinic pending investigations.
Dr Mugambi described the deaths as deeply unfortunate, noting that preliminary findings suggest the infants may have suffered severe allergic reactions, medically known as anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis a rare but serious response that can occur after exposure to certain substances, including vaccines.
“Our officers, together with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, are probing the matter,” he said. “We have withdrawn the vaccine batch and suspended services at the facility as a precaution.”
Read also
Kisumu: Missing RIAT College student found dead, ex-boyfriend arrested
How does Meru receive vaccines?
He added that investigators would also examine whether there was any professional negligence involved, as well as consider the possibility of underlying health conditions that could have contributed to the reactions.
Vaccines in the county are supplied through government channels and distributed to accredited facilities, including private clinics, as part of efforts to expand immunisation coverage and protect children from preventable diseases.
For the two grieving families, however, the focus now is on finding answers and accountability.
What should have been a routine step towards protecting their children’s future has instead left two households in mourning, united by a shared grief and a desperate search for the truth.
Thief steals infant’s body
Elsewhere, a grieving mother has been left reeling after a thief unknowingly took off with a suitcase carrying the body of her five-month-old infant.
It all started when Kimuli Jjumba was discharged from Mulago Hospital following the death of her daughter, Paulina Namigade.
Read also
Nyeri man seeks justice after wife dies shortly after giving birth, narrates what happened
With no money for proper transport, she was forced to place her child’s body in a newly purchased suitcase so she could travel back to her village for burial.
Along the way, a thief stole the suitcase with the infant’s body inside.
Source: NgGossips
🚨 BREAKING: Watch the full clip here ➤
