In A Shocking Incident, Health Workers Bar Menstruating Women From Taking Jabs In North Karnataka

Menstruating women were asked to come back after five days as health workers denied vaccinating them while on periods.

Belagavi: In a shocking incident, health workers in North Karnataka denied menstruating women from vaccinating and were asked to come back after five days when they have gone to a vaccination centre. According to reports, health workers at the vaccination centres in a few districts of North Karnataka have been telling women that they will have to face side effects if inoculated while on periods. Menstruating women were told that vaccination might lead to heavier bleeding and it would feel tiresome. This happened in Raichur, Belagavi and Bidar districts in Karnataka.

However, Raichur Deputy Commissioner R Venkatesh Kumar has denied the occurrence of such instances. "There are no such directions from the government, and women are being administered vaccines," said Venkatesh as quoted by Time of India.

Earlier, in April the Child and Family Welfare Department have done campaigns to create awareness and quash the misconceptions that women on periods shouldn't get inoculated. The government also debunked the theories that circulated on social media which said women should take vaccines only five days before and after the monthly menstrual cycle and not while on periods.  

Doctors and activists asked women to not fall prey to such misinformation and fake news on social media. Doctors have confirmed that women can get inoculated on any day of their menstruation cycle.