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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's public health system says a localized bacterial contamination appears to have been responsible for infant vaccine causing the deaths of two babies and the sickening of 31.
The Mexican Institute for Social Security said late Tuesday that 14 babies remain hospitalized, with four of them in grave condition.
The vaccinations for tuberculosis, rotovirus and hepatitis B were administered at a clinic in the impoverished Indian village of La Pimienta in the township of Simojovel in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas.
The agency said tests revealed the presence of several bacteria in the vaccine used, but it did not identify them. It said the bacteria were consistent with the babies' illnesses.
The institute said the vaccines themselves were safe, and it is investigating how the contamination occurred.
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