8 Aug 2018

Nurse charged over baby deaths in Samoa

7:03 pm on 8 August 2018

Police in Samoa have charged a nurse after two babies died last month, minutes after they received an MMR vaccine.

Samoa's Attorney-General said in a statement the nurse is to appear in court on 14 August.

The one-year-olds died last month at Safotu District Hospital on the island of Savaii.

They had just received a vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella.

Attorney-General Lemalu Herman Retzlaff has not yet revealed the charges but RNZ Pacific understands the nurse was arrested and charged on Saturday.

The nurse is understood to have been charged with conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.

Lemalu commended "swift and hardworking" investigations by police, which are continuing.

Meanwhile, the inquest into the deaths, scheduled to be heard today, has been adjourned for two weeks until overseas analysis of post mortems have been completed.

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