Investigation into death of boy, 3, after polio vaccination

Spokesman of the National Police Directorate in the Kyiv region Mykola Zhukovych told Ukrinform on Wednesday.

"We conduct forensic medical examinations to determine the cause of the boy’s death. Only it can state why he passed away," said Zhukovych.

He noted that along with conducting forensics exams by the Health Ministry experts, the boy’s parents have ordered an independent examination.

"Conducting of the forensic examination is stipulated just  by the opening of a criminal case, and his parents in order to avoid bias told the investigators that they will order an independent examination. We believe that this will be even better,"   the press-secretary of the National Police Directorate said.

According to the police representative, police interviewed all medical doctors who had access to the boy and were engaged in his care. In addition, investigators interviewed the child care staff who looked after the boy and where polio vaccination was administered, and they also interviewed the parents.

According to medical doctors, on November 6,  he and other children attending the child care were vaccinated against polio. Two days later, the boy's health conditions deteriorated:  he had fever, abdominal pain. For about a week  the child was in the hospital, and, according to his doctors, the boy was diagnosed with acute respiratory virus infection (flu). He was subsequently discharged from the hospital. After 10 days the child became sick again, and eventually he died at his home.