39 school kids given Covid vaccine with same syringe

Bhopal: A vaccinator used the same syringe to administer anti-COVID-19 vaccine to 39 children at a private school in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar city, officials said on Thursday.

The parents of some of the children on Wednesday observed the vaccinator using the same syringe to inoculate the children and raised an alarm for the gross negligence on his part, they said.

The incident took place at the Jain Higher Secondary School in the city during a mega vaccination drive following which a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the vaccinator, identified as Jitendra Ahirwar, a district official said. The 39 children, aged 15 and above, were from Classes 9 to 12, a health official said. After the parents protested, Sagar's in-charge Collector Kshitij Singhal sent district Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr D K Goswami to examine the issue.

Those present at the spot told Goswami that the vaccinator allegedly used the same syringe to vaccinate as many as 39 children, the official said. After the protest by parents, Ahirwar escaped from the spot and was not found when the CMHO inspected the school. The accused had switched-off his mobile phone, Goswami said.

An official from Gopal Ganj police station said they have registered an FIR against Ahirwar under Indian Penal Code Section 336 (rash or negligent act endangering human life or personal safety of others). On the basis of a report of the CMHO, the collector recommended to the divisional commissioner a departmental probe and action against district vaccination officer Dr Rakesh Roshan, Singhal said.