Jember Health Office Investigate Case Of Student Died After COVID-19 Vaccine

Head of the Jember District Health Office, Dr. Lilik Lailiyah/ANTARA

JEMBER - Jember District Health Office, East Java conducted an investigation into the case of the death of a high school student named Ananda Rahel Pratama (15) after several days of undergoing COVID-19 vaccination.

"We have received reports related to this and have carried out an investigation by asking for information from a number of parties, from health workers to the families of the victims," said Acting Head of the Jember District Health Office, Dr Lilik Lailiyah, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, October 5.

According to him, the investigation team has made clarifications to the health workers who carried out the vaccination and the hospital to determine whether the cause of death was due to the vaccine or not.

"After we confirmed to the hospital, it turned out that the cause of death was not due to the vaccine, but we are still investigating the case," he said.

Lilik said officers usually screen residents who will undergo vaccination by filling out a medical history form and answering a number of questions related to their illness.

Previously, the victim's family accompanied by the Indonesian Consumer Protection Agency (LPK) Jember Branch with their legal advisors delivered a release regarding the death of Ananda Rahel Pratama who was vaccinating against COVID-19 at SMA Negeri 1 Kencong on September 10, 2021, facilitated by the Cakru Health Center, Kencong District.

"After getting vaccinated, the victim experienced a decrease in body resistance and it lasted up to eight days after the vaccine and was then rushed to the puskesmas and referred to the Balung Hospital with the victim's condition already critical and could not be helped anymore," said LPK's legal adviser Achmad Sarifudin Malik.

He said the family also regretted the arrogant attitude of the health workers who paid tribute to the victim's house, causing a dispute amidst the grieving condition of the victim's family.

"Initially the family sincerely accepted the incident, but became angry because the words of one of the health workers caused a dispute," he said.