scandal after video of nurse who “vaccinated” 94-year-old woman with empty syringe

A 94-year-old grandmother has been “vaccinated” with an empty syringe against Covid-19 in the city of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The moment the woman was cheated on by the nurse was captured by the family and broadcast on the internet and in WhatsApp groups.

Brazilian journalist Bruno Rocha da Fonseca reported the case on its website. “A moment that was meant to be of celebration and relief, now it will be synonymous with attention and distrust,” he also wrote on his Instagram account, calling the action “disgusting.” The scandalous affair touched all the Brazilian media.

According to the O’Globo newspaper, the vaccination “sham” took place in the city of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, on Friday February 19, during a day reserved for people over 90 years old.

It has also been reported in Brazil that this type of deception has occurred in other cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the most populous in the country.

In the video, also posted on Twitter, we observe that at the beginning the nurse had problems with the syringe, so a relative of the woman advises her to better change it, a situation to which she accepts.

After that, on a second attempt, it became clear that the syringe did not contain any liquid.

Due to the criticism received, the Petrópolis health department addressed the issue and confirmed that the 94-year-old was vaccinated a day after the scandal.

Likewise, it was also reported that the nurse who performed the false vaccination had been separated from her post, pending an investigation.

“Isolated case”

Although it sees it as an “isolated” episode, the city council has tightened the vaccination protocol to avoid new cases and guided nurses to increase “transparency” during the process, as explained to Efe by the Secretary of Health of Petrópolis, Aloisio Barbosa da Silva. “Brazil has a great team of nurses. An isolated event cannot compromise a service that follows the protocols of the Ministry of Health. The important thing is to get vaccinated, ”he said.

In Niteroi, also in Rio de Janeiro, police officially charged a nurse with embezzlement who “knowingly” failed to administer the vaccine to a 90-year-old woman.

“Analysis of the video clearly shows that she was aware that she was not applying the vaccine, even because she was alerted and questioned by the family and responded in an ironic manner,” said Commissioner Luiz Henrique Pereira at the Brazilian National Agency.

Although the cases recorded to date are isolated, complaints of vaccination fraud have increased citizens’ mistrust and encouraged the spread of false news.

Brazil is one of the countries in the world hardest hit by the pandemic: it has more than 10 million cases and 247,000 deaths.