Chennai, March 9 (BPNS)

Parents of a 17-year-old girl student studying in Government Girls higher secondary school, Sholingur, Ranipet has said that their daughter,  lost her eyesight after being inoculated with vaccine against Covid -19.

The parents said that the girl was administered vaccine on January 4, 2022, and after that, she fell ill from the next day and later lost her eyesight.

Mother of the seventeen-year-old while speaking to BPNS said, “ I have been running around with my daughter from one hospital to another, Sholingur to Ranipet and from Vellore to Chennai for her treatment. We have been assured that the treatment will be covered under the Comprehensive health insurance scheme of the Chief Minister, nothing has happened so far.”

She also said that she had complained to the district collector and they have promised treatment under Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme of the Chief Minister and added that this has not been materialized till now.

The girl’s mother also said that finally, a hospital diagnosed the disease as connective tissue disorder and that doctors have not assured the family that the girl will regain her lost eyesight.

When contacted, Dr. Manimaran, Deputy Director of Health Services, Ranipet said, “ I have already referred the matter to the panel probing Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI). There are district, state, and national level committees with access to relevant data and they will investigate the matter.”

However, the doctor did not elaborate further on the treatment to be conducted.

Dr. Sujit Somasundrama, Virologist with a Government Medical College in Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “ The vaccine may not have directly resulted in the condition of loss of eyesight but it could have triggered symptoms of a pre-existing disorder. Such a disorder cannot develop in one day and investigations must look for evidence of existing pathological conditions. This can be useful in future vaccination programmes.”

The parents of the girl said that they have not still received proper guidance as to where the treatment could be conducted and that they are taking the child to a private medical college at Vellore said for further diagnosis and treatment.