May 6, 2025
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – The recent deaths of three vaccinated children due to rabies have raised concerns in Kerala about the treatment procedures adopted in the state.
The latest victim, seven-year-old Niya Faisal, died at the SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. She was administered three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine earlier.
Niya Faisal, a native of Kunnikode in Kollam, was bitten by a dog that came chasing a duck while she was sitting in the courtyard of her house on April 8, afternoon.
The Intradermal Rabies Vaccine (IDRV) dose was taken immediately. Anti-rabies serum was also given on the same day. IDRV was given three more times. Of this, only one dose remained on May 6. When the child had a fever on April 28, she was examined. That’s when it was realized that she had contracted rabies. The family and the locals believed she would not get rabies because she had been vaccinated on time.
A six-year-old, Siya Faris from Thirurangadi in Malappuram district, and a 13-year-old girl hailing from Pullad in Pathanamthitta district were the others who died recently despite taking the anti-rabies vaccine. Siya died on April 29 at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, a month after being bitten by a stray dog. The 13-year-old girl hailing from Pullad in Pathanamthitta died of rabies on April 9 despite taking the vaccine.
The incidents have renewed scrutiny of Kerala’s medical preparedness and stray dog control measures, even as grieving families demand accountability and immediate action.
Health experts warn that there are several risk factors associated with rabies. According to them, children are at greater risk, as they are more likely to be bitten on the head and face. Healthcare workers who handle patients should ensure that all the wounds are accounted for and treated to prevent complications, they said.
As many as 13 rabies deaths have been reported in the state this year. In the whole of 2024, the official number stood at 22. It has been reported that out of 30 rabies victims in two years in Kerala, eight of them died despite receiving both anti-rabies vaccine and anti-rabies serum (ARS). Of late, Kerala has been witnessing an alarming rise in dog bites and rabies deaths.