Contaminated Diphtheria Vaccine Incident

Date: January 27, 1927 • Location: Canberra, Australia

A contaminated diphtheria vaccine was used in an Australian immunisation program, leading to the deaths of twelve children and the suspension of immunisation programs in several countries.

The Bundaberg tragedy was a medical disaster that occurred in January 1928, resulting in the deaths of 12 children in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. A royal commission concluded that the deaths were caused by the contamination of a diphtheria vaccine with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.