Man given third Cov vax in Palamu instead of anti-rabies shot

Daltonganj: In a first in Jharkhand, a 51-year-old man identified as Raju Singh was administered the Covid-19 vaccine for the third time on Saturday by mistake at a health centre where he had gone to get the anti-rabies injection for a dog bite.
The incident happened in Palamu district and the civil surgeon on Sunday ordered an investigation into the incident.
Singh is a tractor driver and resident of Naudeeha village under Paton block, said Dr Ameet Azad, the medical officer in charge of the community health centre at Paton. He conceded that Singh had already received both doses of the Covid vaccine but was given the third dose in place of an anti-rabies vaccine. Singh has now received three doses of Covishield.
Reacting to the incident, district civil surgeon Anil Kumar said, “I have asked the medical officer-in-charge of the community health centre at Paton to probe how and why it had happened.” The civil surgeon also said Singh’s OPD paper clearly said his prime complaint is a dog bite.
He, however, wondered why the personal vaccination data of Singh did not show up in the centralised portal. “Had his jab history reflected on the computer, this man would have not have been given the third shot,” he said.
Sources said Singh used the phone number of a villager, Mithilesh Singh of Golna village, on Saturday while taking the OPD ticket and he had used another phone number for his previous two Covid jabs due to which his vaccine history did not show up on the portal.
Kumar said Singh is fine and has not reported any adverse effects as of now. “I have directed Dr Azad to keep a close tab on Singh in case he develops any problems.”
On adverse effects or benefits of the third jab, the district health department is yet to give any comment, saying that it is monitoring the situation.