KOLLAM: Despite administering vaccination, a person has died due to rabies after being bitten by a wild cat. The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Rafi (48), a native of Kollam's Nilamel. He was a tapping worker, and was bitten on the face by a wild cat on May 22.

After showing symptoms of rabies, he was shifted to Paripally Medical College on June 12 and then to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. He passed away on June 14. Rabies infection was confirmed in the sample sent from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College to SIAD.

A death, after receiving vaccine, has taken place in the state after a gap. Although health experts testify that death after rabies vaccination is extremely rare, six people died between January and September last year. Sreelakshmi, a native of Mankara, and Harish's daughter Abhirami (12) of Ranni Perunad Mandapuzha Chethalapadi Sheenabhavan are also among these. After this, the government appointed an expert committee to study the quality of vaccines in the state. The findings of the committee's study report were that rabies vaccines are of good quality, but the cause of death was deep bites and severe bites near the brain, the report said.