This is a tragedy involving a little girl who was vaccinated in the private sector: Lucas (Stateline Queensland)
Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas has defended the handling of investigations into a case where a two-year-old Brisbane girl died earlier this month within a day of having the seasonal flu vaccine.
Use of the vaccine was suspended for small children last week after severe adverse reactions were reported in Western Australia and Queensland.
Queensland Health (QH) released a statement on Sunday saying it had not been aware of the death, and clarified its stance yesterday in a statement saying it had not been formally advised.
Mr Lucas says the department was not able to confirm the circumstances after being told by a journalist of the girl's death because they did not have a name.
"This is not a case involving a Queensland Health hospital," he said.
"It is not a case involving a vaccination provided by Queensland Health.
"This is a tragedy involving a little girl who was vaccinated in the private sector."
QH chief medical officer Dr Jeannette Young says she made every possible attempt to follow up the information provided at the time of the report.
"I was provided information that a child had died in Mt Gravatt following a vaccination," she said.
"So that is the question - I went to our hospitals - I asked the police - I looked into our own notifications.
"None of that turned up anything."
Mr Lucas has asked the Medical Board to find out why a Brisbane GP did not report the death of the toddler.
"There is a legal requirement on a doctor that if you believe an adverse reaction has occurred as a result of the vaccination you must notify Queensland Health that did not take place," he said.
The Queensland Opposition says Mr Lucas should be dumped as Health Minister.
But Premier Anna Bligh says he is doing a good job.
"I think he's faced a couple of very tough issues but I think it's important in understanding this particular issue that this very unfortunate event did not occur in a Queensland Health facility but in the services of a private GP," she said.
