PATHANAMTHITTA: An inquiry conducted by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) says that delays in providing care, dearth of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) at local primary health facilities and lack of awareness about immunisation of pets likely contributed to the recent post-vaccination deaths of three young victims of dog bites in Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, and Kollam.
The directorate submitted the findings to the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which had sought a report based on a petition filed by Kulathur Jaising, a High Court lawyer and public activist.
“All the children sustained severe, deep category 3 injuries to such highly innervated areas such as head and neck region and upper limb resulting in direct inoculation of the virus into the nerves thus rendering the administered immunoglobulin and vaccine ineffective,” the DHS report said.
It underscored delayed access to tertiary care -- often due to far-flung health facilities -- and non-availability of RIG at local primary health centres (PHCs) as major systemic gaps that need urgent redressal.
The investigation into the incidents looked at different aspects, including nature of animal bite, timeliness of interventions, adherence to standard protocols, vaccine cold chain, and techniques of administration, trained staff, and awareness among the public regarding prophylaxis against rabies.