Central team claims Kerala rabies deaths not caused by faulty vaccination
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New Delhi: According to official sources, a central team that visited the state to investigate the instances claimed in its report to the Union health ministry that the recent rabies deaths in Kerala were not the result of ineffective vaccinations.
The sources added that the testing at Kasauli is also finished and demonstrates the vaccinations' efficacy.
The report stated that the majority of deaths were preventable and could be attributed due to low awareness in the general community about do's and don'ts in the event of animal bites, the sources said.
There has been a delay in seeking time and appropriate animal bite management in the cases examined which might be attributed to not recognising the importance of timely and full rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
Intensive information education and communication activities are required for all target audiences about do's and don'ts for animal bites management, the committee has recommended, they said.
Deaths are also attributed to proper wound washing facilities at animal bite management facilities even at the tertiary care level and limited availability of ARV/ARS at the peripheral health facility as only 30 per cent of PHC and UHC were having ARV available and 3.5 per cent of all facilities were having ARS.
"None of the deaths could be attributed to vaccine/RIG quality, the report said," an official source said.
With PTI inputs
