Tirupattur: 2-year-old boy dies after vaccination; kin chase ambulance for 70 km seeking body

CHENNAI: Angry that the police took the body of a two-year-old boy to the Vellore Government Medical College for post-mortem examination, the relatives of the deceased chased the ambulance for nearly 70 km, intercepted it, and staged a protest on Thursday.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, Bhoomis, son of Vignesh, a driver, and Krithika from Usithoppu near Perumalpet, received a routine vaccination at the local Anganwadi on Wednesday. After returning home, the child refused to sleep and kept on crying. Following this, the parents rushed him to Vaniyambadi Government Hospital in the early hours of Thursday, but the doctors there declared him dead.

The hospital authorities informed the police, who sent the body to Vellore Government Medical College for an autopsy. Angry that the child’s body was handed over to them, the grieving parents and other relatives chased the ambulance from Vaniyambadi to Adukkamparai, nearly 70 km, the report added.

They intercepted the ambulance at Adukkamparai and staged a protest. They asked the authorities to hand over the boy’s body, and also alleged that he died due to vaccination.