Parents file criminal complaint ‘because their baby given COVID-19 vaccine by mistake’

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Amid allegations that a 1-month-old baby was administered Pfizer-BioNTech's novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine instead of an Hepatitis B vaccine at a family medicine center in İzmir province around 3 months ago, the family have filed a criminal complaint about the incident.

Releasing a statement, the family's lawyer Dilek Güzel has announced that in their petition, "they have demanded that the necessary investigation be carried out against the ones who had negligence in the incident where the medical intervention was made in violation of the law and professional rules and without showing the necessary care and attention."

The written statement of the lawyer has also shared some information about the incident. According to this statement, the family went to a family medicine center in İzmir to have their baby vaccinated with an Hepatitis B vaccine scheduled for the 30th day after the birth.

After the baby was vaccinated on July 1, 2021, the statement has said, officials came to the family's house around 2 hours later, "informing them that instead of an Hepatitis B vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine was administered to the baby by mistake and that the baby should be taken to a hospital urgently." The baby was then reportedly taken to the Children's Emergency Service of the Ege University Hospital.

Noting that the baby's medical condition has been monitored for a week at the hospital, lawyer Güzel has stated, "While the blood count of the baby is done regularly and the checks are being carried out, my client is told that it is not certain how much longer these checks will continue and whether there will remain a permanent problem due to the vaccine."

Demanding the penalization of the responsible parties, the lawyer has announced that they have taken legal action about the issue.

Lawyer Dilek Güzel has also underlined that her clients, who have been vaccinated against the virus themselves, do not accept their situation being utilized for anti-vaccination propaganda.

Prosecutor's office has launched an investigation

Shortly after this statement was released, the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has announced that it has launched an ex officio investigation over the incident on charge of "reckless injury".

What happened?

Attending a TV program, Prof. Zafer Kurugöl from the Faculty of Medicine of Ege University said that 6-month-old or 1-month-old babies are administered a COVID-19 vaccine by mistake, instead of an Hepatitis vaccine. While Prof. Kurugöl argued that the vaccine causes no side effects on the child, the Federation of Family Physicians has dismissed his claims.

Kurugöl said that the incident happened at a center outside İzmir, his remarks were misunderstood and he talked about a single incident.

The Ministry of Health has launched an investigation against Prof. Zafer Kurugöl over his remarks. (AÖ/SD)