Officials Deny Claims Linking Madurai Doc’s Death to COVID Vaccine

Doctors have ruled out the COVID-19 vaccine as the reason behind the death of a young woman doctor in Madurai on 11 March. The Medical Administrator of Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Madurai, Dr Kannan told The News Minute that the woman doctor had been administered the COVID-19 vaccine on 5 February, a month before she was brought to the hospital in an unconscious state.

Dr Hariharini, 26, died in Meenakshi Mission Hospital on 11 March, after spending almost a week on the ventilator. She was admitted to the hospital on 5 March by her husband, who is also a doctor.

According to reports, Hariharini had fever and body pain on 5 March and her husband had reportedly administered her a painkiller injection. However, she fell unconscious within hours and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital.

“She was brought on 5 March in a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) state of below 3, which is unconscious. She was intubated outside and she was brought in a hypoxic state here. She was kept on ventilator support for 4-5 days,” Dr Kannan explained.

He added that Dr Hariharini was taken to two other hospitals, including a tertiary-care facility, before she was brought to Meenakshi Mission Hospital on 5 March. Since then, she had been in a hypoxic state and we couldn't revive her.

Doctor Rubbishes Claims Linking COVID-19 Vaccine

Hariharini had received COVID-19 vaccine on 5 February. When asked if the after-effects of the vaccine could have caused her to go into a serious state, Dr Kannan ruled out the possibility.

“Following COVID-19 vaccination, such effect is not possible after this long (duration). We have administered thousands of vaccines here in our hospital, too. Following vaccination, only within 24 hours the issue can be connected to it,” he said, rubbishing the claims that the COVID-19 vaccine caused her death.

TNM also spoke to the inspector in Avaniyapuram police station, who said that the doctors had confirmed that COVID-19 vaccine was not the cause of her death.

“On 5 March, she was administered an injection. The doctors told us that it could have caused her lungs to react severely. We are waiting for the autopsy report. We have not booked anyone for this because the victim’s family didn’t ask for a case to be registered,” he said.

(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)

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