Critical rabies case in Kerala girl raises vaccine effectiveness concerns

Despite vaccination, a seven-year-old in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, developed rabies symptoms after being mauled by a stray dog weeks ago.

 

Presently, the girl is undergoing treatment at Sree Avittom Thirunal (SAT) Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. According to her family, she is on ventilator support as her health condition worsened. 

 

The girl was bitten by a stray dog on her elbow on April 8. The incident comes just days after a six-year-old girl in Malappuram district died of rabies despite having received vaccination.

 

"Soon after she was bitten, we thoroughly washed her wounds and took her to the nearby family health centre, where she was administered an anti-rabies vaccine," the mother said. 

 

Later, the girl was taken to Punalur Taluk Hospital, where she received more vaccine shots and treatments. 

 

However, she developed severe pain around the wound and a fever. The girl was taken to SAT hospital, where tests confirmed that she had contracted rabies. 

 

SAT Hospital authorities also confirmed that the girl had received all the recommended doses of the vaccine. Her condition remains critical, and she continues to be on ventilator support, they added.

 

Meanwhile, SAT Hospital Superintendent Dr. Bindhu said that it cannot be concluded that the rabies vaccine was ineffective. "If the bite occurred on a vein, the virus could directly reach the brain," she said. 

 

In such a case, it would be impossible to determine how effective the vaccine would be, she added. 

 

Health Minister Veena George said that vaccines used in state hospitals are administered only after ensuring their quality. They are certified for quality by the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kasauli, she added. 

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