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Vt Health Commissioner on child's toxicology report

January 27, 2012

More details now surrounding the death of a child in the Northeast Kingdom.

The Matten family of Barton received the medical examiner's report on little Kaylynne Matten, 7, Wednesday. But it still does not answer their main question: Did the flu vaccine contribute to her death?

The report says the manner of death could not be determined but it does list contributing conditions, including myocarditis. That's an inflammation of the heart usually caused by a virus.

Kaylynne had just gotten a flu shot four days before her death and the family suspects she died due to complications from that vaccination.

The influenza vaccine was present in her body, but not in Kaylynne's heart. That's why the health department could not directly attribute the death to her flu shot.

"There's no record of a person dying of a flu shot in Vermont. Well, it's listed undetermined, so how many are there?" mom Nicole Matten said.

"Myocarditis is a rare disease-- probably a handful of cases each year in this country. And it's an inflammation of the heart, but unfortunately we can't tell you what caused that" said Dr. Harry Chen, the Vermont Health Commissioner.

Reporter Gina Bullard: Do you think the flu shot played any role in this?

Dr. Harry Chen: In my opinion I don't think it had anything to do with it, but I don't have the evidence to be absolutely certain to say no.

Commissioner Chen said there will be no further follow up or testing in this case.

The health department still highly encourages people to get the flu vaccination.

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Did Vt girl die from flu vaccine?