Madhya Pradesh: Health department employee dies hours after taking second COVID-19 vaccine dose

A 60-year-old woman employee of the Madhya Pradesh health department died hours after receiving the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Barwani district, an official said on Wednesday.

The district collector has asked authorities to ascertain the exact cause of her death. Rajni Sen, a clerk with the health department, received the second dose of the vaccine on Tuesday afternoon and her condition deteriorated at night, the district’s chief medical and health officer (CMHO), Anita Singare, said.

The woman died during treatment at a private hospital late at night, the official said, adding a post-mortem will be conducted and a report will be submitted in three days.

“I got information that the woman was administered the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday and died at night. The CMHO informed me that the deceased might have suffered a brain hemorrhage (bleeding),” district collector Shivraj Singh Verma said.

A post-mortem has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the death, he said.

“The vaccination drive has been going on since the last one-and-a half months. I have also got inoculated. In my opinion, the vaccine is safe and there is no possibility of side-effects,” Verma said.