A magisterial enquiry on Friday was ordered by Cachar Deputy Commissioner Goutam Ganguli after a minor kid died and seven others fell ill after being administered vitamin ‘A’ vaccine at Katigora village near Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam’s Cachar region.

According to sources, a 3-year-old child Abdur Samad, who was given the medicine during a special statewide campaign ‘Vitamin A Supplementation Week’ at Gaurigram village, died at the Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) on Thursday night.
 
Father of the dead child, Samsul Haq Majumdar said that after taking the medicine (Vitamin A) on Tuesday, his child vomited and developed other complications demanding the boy’s admission to SMCH.

People in Rajartilla area of Katligora area also reported that 7 children fell sick immediately after administering the vaccine since the supplementation week under the National Rural Health Mission, Assam, started on October 30.

Considering the child's death last night and others taking ill, Cachar Deputy Commissioner Goutam Ganguli, who has already ordered a magisterial inquiry, said that a thorough report is expected within next 24 hours.

On being contacted, SMCH principal Dr Samdeep Swapan Dhar declined to make any comment on the incident at all as an enquiry had been ordered.

The physicians here told that kids were safe if Vitamin A was administered with the spoon provided along with the bottle in the prescribed quantity

They also said that problems could, however, arise if the medicine was not stored at the recommended temperature.

In 2001, 14 children died all over the state after being administered vitamin ‘A’ vaccine. The tragedy took place in the month of November after a total of 953 children were administered the similar vaccine.