'Worm' in vaccine vial

Asoka SENARATNA Anuradhapura group

An object similar to a worm has been found in a vaccine vial meant for heart patients and kidney patients in the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. This vaccine is called the 'Calcium Gluconate' and it is used for heart patients and kidney patients when their blood calcium is not sufficient.

The Government Medical Supplies Unit had sent those vaccines to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. This consignment of vaccines has been imported from a company in India.

The production year of the vaccine was 2010 and the expiry date is in July, 2013.

Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital Director Dr W M T B Wijekoon said that this type of findings are very rare, but action had been taken to give instruction to the doctors and nurses to be careful of this type of findings. Dr Wijekoon said a vaccine bottle was found from the hospital and action had been taken to make aware of the Health Ministry. He appealed to the patients not to panic as precautionary measures were taken by the authorities.