THE parents of a 5-month old baby who died after receiving a vaccination at a private clinic in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town have opted not to file a complaint after receiving compensation money from clinic staff, who instructed them not to go public with the case, rights workers said Thursday.

Kheuv Bory, an activist in Banteay Meanchey for the rights group Adhoc, said the baby boy’s mother, 24-year-old San Sophea, brought him to the clinic on Wednesday morning to receive an injection of an unidentified serum, and that the boy began reacting negatively to the injection just minutes after it was administered.

Workers at the clinic then instructed San Sophea to take the baby to a referral hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, Kheuv Bory said.

Ley Ching, the owner of the clinic, on Thursday said that his staff had been responsible for the baby’s death.

“Our staff tried to inject the serum in the baby, but it failed, and then we told the baby’s mother to bring her baby for medical treatment at the referral hospital.”

He added that, at a meeting later on Wednesday, the parents had thumbprinted a document absolving the clinic of responsibility.

Soum Chankea, Adhoc’s provincial coordinator, said the parents had originally intended to pursue the complaint but changed their minds after receiving an undisclosed sum of money in compensation.

The parents could not be reached on Thursday. “We are terribly sorry that the boy’s mother did not cooperate further,” Soum Chankea said.