MP: 39 students given COVID-19 vaccine with single syringe; FIR filed, officer suspended

A vaccinator allegedly used a single syringe to administer anti-coronavirus vaccine doses to 39 children at a private school in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar city, prompting the authorities to suspend the district vaccination officer, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday at the Jain Higher Secondary School in the city during a mega vaccination drive, after which a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the vaccinator, identified as Jitendra Ahirwar, a district official said.

Ahirwar, who has not been arrested yet, is a student of a private nursing college and had been trained for carrying out a vaccination program by the health department, Sagar district's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. DK Goswami said.

The 39 children, aged 15 and above, were from Classes 9 to 12, a health official said. The parents of some of the students on Wednesday observed the vaccinator using the same syringe to inoculate the children and raised an alarm for gross negligence on his part, the officials said.

After the parents protested, Sagar's in-charge Collector Kshitij Singhal sent the CMHO to inquire about the incident. Those present at the spot told Goswami that the vaccinator allegedly used the same syringe to administer vaccine doses to as many as 39 children, the district official said. After the protest by their parents, Ahirwar escaped from the spot and was not found when the CMHO inspected the school. The accused had also switched off his mobile phone, Goswami said. Taking serious cognizance of the incident, Sagar divisional commissioner Mukesh Shukla on Thursday suspended district vaccination officer, Dr. Shobharam Roshan, based on the CMHO's report, another official said. The suspension order was issued by the divisional commissioner, who directed the collector to appoint another official in place of Dr. Roshan, he said. An official from the Gopal Ganj police station said they have registered an FIR against Ahirwar under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 336 (rash or negligent act endangering human life or personal safety of others).

Based on a report of the CMHO, the collector recommended to the divisional commissioner a departmental probe and appropriate action against district vaccination officer Dr. Roshan, Singhal said.

Meanwhile, health officials examined all the 39 children and carried out certain medical tests whose reports came normal, Goswami said.