Three women given anti-rabies shots instead of Covid vaccine in India

LUCKNOW: In a shocking incident, three elderly women were allegedly administered anti-rabies shots instead of coronavirus vaccine at a government hospital in India’s Uttar Pradesh.

According to the details three women named Saroj,70, Anarkali,72 and Satyawati,60 went to a government hospital to get coronavirus jabs in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh.

The women fell moderately ill after returning from a Community Health Centre in Shamli. Later, one of the women’s health deteriorated by the time she reached home. Soraj Devi was rushed to a private practitioner who found that the certificate she carried mentioned administration of anti-rabies injection.

After being informed, the authorities launched investigations into the matter. The state government has acknowledged the blunder after the probe.

In a video statement, Shamli’s district magistrate said, “We have received a detailed report on this episode and we found the women did go to get their Covid vaccinations but by mistake, they did not go to the first-floor vaccination centre and instead went to the OPD, where the pharmacist, who was leaving for some work, asked a private person – the pharmacist of a ‘Jan Aushadi Kendra’ — to give them anti-rabies shots.”

“That man administered the shots without question,” he added.

Anarkali told the journalists that she was sure she had been given an anti-rabies vaccine. “I felt dizzy after returning home. I had doubts at the hospital too when I was not asked for my Aadhaar card (necessary for vaccine beneficiary registration),” she added.

Satyawati said she had raised strong objections at the hospital. “I asked what injection they had given me and the man told me it was a rabies vaccine. Before that I had asked the man at the counter if vaccinations were being done here and he said yes.”