People in Kolkata were reportedly injected with Amikacin, an antibiotic in the name of Covid-19 shot at a vaccination camp that turned out to be bogus.
TMC MP and Bengali actor Mimi Chakraborty too were duped by this fake Covid vaccination camp.
The mastermind of this fake vaccination camp is a 28-year-old Debanjan Deb who was arrested by the Kolkata Police last week, supposedly pretended as an IAS officer and organised a fake vaccination drive in West Bengal’s capital city at Kasba area.
Mimi Chakraborty, who received a dose at the vaccination camp fell sick and suffered dehydration and stomach pain last week. However, if her illness was due to the fake vaccine or not, is not known yet.
Meanwhile, reports say that a large number of Amikacin vials and fake labels of the Covishield vaccine have been recovered from Deb's office. The vaccine vials that were seized from the Kasba area camp had Covishield labels without any batch number or expiry date.
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What is Amikacin?
Amikacin or Amikacin sulphate is given to those patients who have bacterial infections. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This antibiotic belongs to a class of drugs known as aminoglycoside antibiotics.
It is also used for the treatment of meningitis (infection of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) along with blood, abdomen, lungs, skin, bones, joints, and urinary tract.
The Amikacin injection is sold in liquid form and is administered intravenously (into a vein) or intramuscularly (into a muscle) every 8 or 12 hours (two or three times a day).
What are Amikacin’s side effects?
Amikacin generally has mild reactions and does not have a significant effect on a person. Some side effects include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, rashes or injection site pain, and redness. However, some serious side effects include numbness/tingling, muscle twitching or weakness, seizure. Prolong use of this medication or on repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new yeast infection.
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However, patients who suffer from kidney ailments and are on a high dose of Amikacin may suffer from serious issues.