ALOR STAR: A two-year-old boy from Kuala Muda has died of diphtheria, here.
The boy died at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here on Wednesday after he was transferred from the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani.
Kedah Health Department director Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail said the boy and his six other siblings, aged 11, 10, eight, four, three and 10-months-old, were all admitted to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital on June 21.
However, only the boy and his 10-month-old baby brother were referred to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for further treatment.
"The two-year-old and three other siblings aged four, three and 10 months had not received immunisation for diphtheria," he said in a statement.
He added that the 10-month-old baby is in critical condition and is being monitored closely at the hospital.
Norhizan added that another boy. a six-year-old, from Taman Nilam in Langkawi, was also admitted to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for suspected diphtheria.
"The six-year-old is a foreigner and had not received immunisation for diphtheria," he said.
He said the department has taken samples from all the children. The samples have been sent to the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) in Kuala Lumpur. They are awaiting results from the test.
Diphtheria is a disease caused by bacteria from an unhealthy environment and can be prevented through immunisation.
Based on information, immunisation against Diphtheria is given for babies at the age of two months, three months, five months and 18 months, and again when they are 12 and 15.