Vaccinator used pre-filled syringe, claims couple; clinic issued notice

Gurgaon: A couple has filed a complaint with the health department alleging that a nurse at a private vaccination centre in Sector 56 injected them with pre-filled syringes without showing them the vaccine vial. According to an official, the clinic has been sent a show-cause notice.
According to norms, vaccinators should show the vial to a recipient and draw from it in front of them after informing them which vaccine they are being given. The norms strongly discourage filling syringes in advance because of the increased risk of administration errors and contamination. Once open, a vial should be used within four hours.
The complainant, a resident of Sector 54, said he and his wife went to Muskan Dental Clinic for their second dose of Covishield on Saturday.
“We saw the nurse at the centre didn’t take the vaccine out of the Covishield bottle and put it in the syringe. Instead, she took out the syringe from the ice-box, which was already filled with the vaccine, and administered the dose to us,” said the 58-year-old recipient. He added that he questioned her about the pre-filled jabs. “She responded by saying, ‘we do this to save time’. I believe that this is a clear violation of the process,” he said.
He said there was no guarantee the syringe had Covishield. And if it did, he said, there was no clarity on when it had been filled. “How can we be sure the vaccine will work when we are not even sure if we have been inoculated with the correct one? Who knows when the nurse filled the syringe?” he added.
He said he called up the helpline after getting the jab. “I informed the government medical officer and shared my complaint through WhatsApp,” he added.
“A probe will be carried out,” said Dr Hardeep Kaur, medical officer, Tigra PHC.
Dr Suresh Ahlawat, owner of Muskan Dental Clinic, said, “We are not keeping pre-filled syringes. Everything is being done in front of recipients.”