After conducting six tests:

Australian laboratory finds no fault with Rubella vaccine

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Australian laboratory which functions under the purview of the Ministry of Health and Aging, Australia has confirmed that there is nothing wrong with the Rubella vaccine administered to the two schoolgirls who died a few months back and the Rubella vaccines included in the latest batch.

The confirmation on the standard of the vaccines had been given after conducting six separate scientific investigations, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman the six tests were carried out by four specialists in this Australian laboratory located in Canberra. The tests were on microorganisms and chemicals etc. There are facilities and capabilities to conduct three out of those six tests in Sri Lankan laboratories but the Ministry requested the Australian laboratory to conduct all six tests.

The Ministry sent samples from the Rubella vaccine administered to the two schoolgirls who died after receiving the vaccine and the latest batch of vaccines now in Sri Lanka.

The Ministry is concerned about certain political parties and politicians using the National Immunization Program for their political propaganda causing severe damage to the credibility of the program which had already won International recognition. This act destroys the health of the future generation of Sri Lanka. Rubella vaccine protect 50,000 infants per year from various abnormalities caused by Rubella such as severe heart disorders, blindness and deafness.

Around 50,000 infants out of 350,000 infants born every year face the threats, he said.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry plans to relaunch the Rubella vaccine in Sri Lanka within this year to strengthen the National Immunization Program. The Ministry has already been taken steps to formulate a strategy to act immediately during possible allergic reactions, he added.