Qld: Opp says minister should have done more over child death

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2010
Qld: Opp says minister should have done more over child death

The Queensland opposition says it's extraordinary the health minister didn't do more
.. when he was alerted that a child may have died from a flu shot.

The minister .. PAUL LUCAS .. was asked about the case at a news conference on April
9 .. the same day the two-year-old girl died .. 12 hours after being given the flu vaccine.

Mr LUCAS said at the time .. he wasn't aware of the case.

But his spokeswoman says that despite the lack of detail .. including the child's name
.. the minister immediately asked Queensland Health to look into the case.

Since little ASHLEY EPAPARA's death .. and reports of adverse reactions to the flu
vaccine in scores of children in mostly Western Australia and Queensland .. flu shots
have been suspended in the under-fives.

The Opposition's BRUCE FLEGG has told ABC radio .. Mr LUCAS should have tried harder
to find the girl's family and to report the death to national authorities.

AAP RTV tnf/jmt

KEYWORD: FLU QLD FLEGG (BRISBANE)

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