Padampur/Bargarh: In an extremely tragic incident, a two and half year-old baby boy died allegedly due to post-vaccination complications in Padampur region of Odisha's Bargarh district on Thursday. The baby reportedly died barely 18 hours after getting the vaccine shot.

The incident took place in Temri village which comes under Paikmal block of the district. 

As per reports, Mukesh Bhoi and his wife Jayanti Bhoi had taken their infant son to Temri anganwadi centre on Wednesday afternoon after all villagers with children were asked by the auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) to come for routine immunisation. After getting the vaccine shot, the child developed mild fever in the evening.

Considering it a common after-effect of vaccination, the family did not stress over it. However, when their baby lost consciousness in the morning, they rushed to the nearest hospital where, to their horror, the doctors declared the boy dead. 

Unable to come to terms with the sudden death of their child, the Bhoi family alleged that medical negligence was the only reason their baby died. "I was absent when the anganwadi staff called villagers with babies for immunisation. My wife went with our baby to get his vaccination. However, he had mild fever in the evening which, we thought, was common after vaccination. But he suddenly lost consciousness in the morning. We rushed to the hospital but doctors decalred him dead on arrival. My son would have completed three months in a few days," said Mukesh. 

His father in-law levelled similar allegations. "My grandson was absolutely fine. He played with me in the morning. Why did his health suddenly deteriorate and that too after vaccination? Whom should we blame? he claimed. 

"I lost my child after getting him vaccinated. What can be more tragic than this? My world is shattered," Jayati weeped inconsolably. 

Following the incident, the family filed a police complaint. The body of the infant was seized for postmortem and later handed over to the family. A case has been registered and police is investigating the child's death, official sources said.