Three women in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district were given anti-rabies shots when they went to get coronavirus vaccine doses at a community health centre on Thursday, reported NDTV. A pharmacist was suspended after the incident.

The women were identified as Saroj, Anarkali and Satyawati fell ill after getting the anti-rabies shot, which is administered for dog bites. Shamli District Magistrate Jasjit Kaur said that the women went to the centre to get their Covid-19 shots but instead of going to the first floor, where the shots were being administered, went to the out patient department. All the three women were above 60 years.

Kaur said that the pharmacist present in the out patient department, who was leaving for some work, asked another pharmacist of a Jan Aushadhi Kendra to give the women anti-rabies shot. An inquiry into the incident showed the Jan Aushadhi Kendra pharmacist administered the anti-rabies shot without asking any questions or conducting any checks.

“I have instructed the CMO [chief medical officer] to suspend the pharmacist [of the Jan Aushadhi Kendra],” the district magistrate added. A show cause notice was also issued to the medical superintendent of the centre, reported The Hindu.

“I felt dizzy after returning home,” one of the woman said. She said she had doubts when the hospital did not ask for her Aadhaar card, which is necessary for Covid-19 vaccine beneficiary registration.

Shamli Chief Medical Officer Sanjay Agarwal said there was no adverse effect of the rabies vaccine. The women have recorded their statement before the sub divisional magistrate.