Havana, October 13 (RHC)-- Cuba's Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) issued a statement Saturday, reporting a sad fact related to MMR vaccination, as a result of which one baby died, and four other children remain hospitalized.

The Ministry reported that between October 7 and 8, three one-year-old children were diagnosed with an adverse reaction associated with the vaccination, which protects against Mumps, Rubella and Measles applied to children between one and six years of age.

All the cases associated with the incident had been vaccinated on October 7 at the "Betancourt Neninger" Policlinics in the municipality of Habana del Este, province of Havana, and immediately after the symptoms appeared, they were admitted and received medical attention by professionals of high scientific level in the Borrás Marfán and Centro Habana Pediatric Hospitals.

Through the active investigation carried out on all the children vaccinated in this Health Area, two more children with symptoms were detected, which motivated their admission.

Painfully, on the evening of October 9, one-year old Paloma Domínguez Caballero, who was admitted to the "Borrás Marfán" Hospital, died as a result of complications. The remaining four children remain hospitalized, one in intensive care, and reported in stable condition while the others evolve favorably.

The Ministry of Public Health reported that the active surveillance system associated with vaccinations carried out in the country had not identified any other children with symptoms.

According to the statement, the MMR vaccine used for years in Cuba is imported from India, the World Health Organization approves it, and it is certified by the island´s Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (CECMED).

The Ministry said that a commission is currently investigating the causes of this unfortunate event.