30 students vaccinated by single-injection syringe; not my fault, says health worker

BHOPAL: A shocking violation of single-use syringe has been reported in Madhya Pradesh as over 30 students were given Covid vaccine with the same syringe. The incident took place yesterday in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. An FIR was registered against Jitendra, who administered the vaccine. The incident took place at the Covid vaccination centre organized at Jain Public Higher Secondary School in Sagar city. The incident came to light when the parents intervened after seeing the children being given the vaccine using the same syringe.

The FIR was registered on the grounds of gross misconduct and violation of the central government's 'one needle, one syringe at a time' pledge. Meanwhile, Jitendra says the authorities only sent one needle to administer the vaccine. "I know that a syringe can only be used for one person only. But when I asked the authorities, they suggested to give the vaccine to everyone with a single syringe. How could this be my fault? I acted according to the instructions I received", Jitendra said.

After the incident, a departmental inquiry was ordered against Rakesh Sharma, the immunization officer of the district. Rakesh was in charge of sending the medicine and equipment required for vaccination.

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

A month before the start of the Covid vaccination in the country in January 2021, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a directive to follow a strict "one needle, one syringe, one time" protocol.