Three consecutive deaths reported in Kerala after taking anti-rabies vaccine

Thiruvananthapuram: Three children, who suffered rabid dog bites, died in Kerala even after taking the anti-rabies vaccine over the last few weeks.

While the incident triggered concerns over the effectiveness of the anti-rabies vaccines, a state government medical team said that all three children seem to have received bites at sensitive areas and that could be the reason why the virus affected them despite taking the vaccine.

Seven-year-old Niya Faizal of Kunnikode in Kollam, who died on Monday, had taken three doses of anti-rabies vaccine. A 13-year-old girl hailing from Pathanamthitta district and a six-year-old boy from Malappuram district were the others who died recently despite taking the anti-rabies vaccine.

Dr Aravind R, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College said when a rabid dog bites a person on areas like the hand or face there is a chance for the virus to spread to the brain even before the anti-rabies vaccine could neutralise it by developing antibodies. That seems to be the reason for the recent deaths. It could not be considered as ineffectiveness of the anti-rabies vaccine, he said.

Criticising the government for the back-to-back deaths, Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that in the last five years, 102 people died of rabies in the state of which around 20 died even after taking the vaccine. Last year, 3.16 lakh people took treatment in government hospitals alone for stray dog bites. The state government is answerable for the lapses in containing stray dog menace and ensuring proper treatment to dog-bite patients, the Congress leader said.