AN investigation is being launched into the claims published in the Sunday Star recently, about a rare case where a girl who got her Covid-19 vaccination complained of her body turned magnetic after receiving her first jab.
Kilu’ufi Hospital Health Promotion Team led by Kemuel Iro told Solomon Star Auki that they are launching an investigation into the matter upon request from the Ministry of Health & Medical Services (MHMS) in Honiara.
Mr Iro said they will try to get firsthand information from the person concerned to fully verify the story.
He said among all vaccinated people in Malaita, this is the only girl that demonstrated such a rare case where her body attracted cell phones as reported in the media.
The investigation started yesterday with Mr Iro collecting video and photo evidences of the girl showing cell phones fixed to her left arm in a demonstration.
“The aim now is to get to the girl and find out what actually happened to her,” Iro stated.
When the story was published over the weekend, it attracted mostly negative and discriminatory comments from the public.
Most have also labelled the story as ‘fake and misleading’.
Solomon Star also received an email yesterday, from one Michael McGrath, stating the article as misleading and should not be printed.
“Covid-19 vaccines do not make you magnetic.
“Stories such as this are the reason for the terribly low vaccination rate in Solomon Islands,” Mr McGrath said.
He went on to state that in Fiji, people do not believe superstitions such as this. The vaccination rate is 95% (single jab), covid has been beaten and the country is opening up for tourism. In PNG, where superstitions run rife, the vaccination rate is 1.7%, and thousands of people are dying.
Meanwhile, relatives of the girl said what had happened to their daughter is really strange and is worth proper medical investigation so that they get proper answers.
By WILSON SAENI
Auki News Bureau
