Kedah Health Director Dr Norhizan Ismail, in a statement today, said the siblings were aged 10 months, three, four, eight, 10 and 11.

Their 2-year-old brother died yesterday after being transferred from the hospital to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB), he added.

He said the deceased’s 10-month-old sibling was also transferred to HSB yesterday.

According to Dr Norhizan, four of the seven siblings, including the deceased, had not received the diphtheria vaccination.

The others were the 10-month-old, three-year-old and four-year-old siblings, he added.

In another case, Dr Norhizan said a 6-year-old child of foreign citizenship, had been admitted to HSB for suspected diphtheria.

The child, from Taman Nilam, Langkawi, was reported to be in stable condition, he added.

He said the department was still waiting for reports from the Institute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur on all the cases.

– BERNAMA