MP horror: 30 students vaccinated for COVID-19 with single syringe
What's the story
In a shocking breach of the single-use syringe process, at least thirty school students were given COVID-19 vaccine with the same syringe on Wednesday in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar, NDTV reported. The authorities apparently provided only one syringe, and allegedly instructed the vaccinator to vaccinate all the children with it, the report said. The entire thing was captured on the video by the parents.
Context
Why does this story matter?
India is currently witnessing a rise in COVID-19 cases. This follows a substantial decrease in infections from the January end to the April beginning. The Health Ministry guaranteed a stringent "One needle, one syringe, only once" policy a month before the COVID-19 immunization began in India in January 2021. International organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have also recommended similar measures.
Video
What did the accused vaccinator say?
"The person who delivered the materials only gave a single syringe," vaccinator Jitendra is heard stating in a video. When asked if he was aware of the violation, Jitendra said, "I know that. This is why I asked them if I have to use just one syringe and they said 'yes'. How is this my fault? I did what I was asked to do."
Twitter Post
Look at the video of the vaccinator shared on Twitter
Shocking violation of “One needle, one syringe, only one time” protocol in #COVID19 #vaccination, in Sagar a vaccinator vaccinated 30 school children with a single syringe at Jain Public Higher Secondary School @ndtv @ndtvindia pic.twitter.com/d6xekYQSfX
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) July 27, 2022
Action
Vaccinator booked, inquiry against immunization officer too
Meanwhile, an FIR has been filed against the vaccinator Jitendra charging him with negligence and blatant violation of the Central Government's "one needle, one syringe, one-time" vow by the Sagar district administration. As per NDTV, a departmental investigation has also been launched against the District Immunization Officer Dr. Rakesh Roshan, who was in charge of delivering the vaccine.
Incident
Alarm was raised by parents after witnessing violation
As per reports, the incident occurred during a COVID-19 immunization session for schoolchildren at Jain Public Higher Secondary School in Sagar. It came to the fore after some parents noticed that the children were being vaccinated with a single syringe. Collector-in-Charge Kshitij Singhal immediately directed the Chief Medical and Health Officer to undertake an inspection. However, Jitendra was not present for the inspection.