The recent death of a 3-year-old boy, suspectedly due to rabies virus immune failure after a dog bite in Henan Province, Central China, has sparked deep concern over the rabies vaccines. Local police and center for disease control are investigating the incident.
The boy was bitten by a dog on April 21 in Zhaogang village of Nanyang city in Henan. At that time, the boy, identified by his mother as "Xiao Xing", was walking with his grandmother and younger sister near a road in the village, when a dog suddenly emerged and began attacking him, causing multiple injuries to his face, neck, and legs.
Following the attack, the family took Xiao Xing to a local hospital, where he received urgent rabies vaccinations. The boy was then admitted to another hospital for further treatment, where he received tetanus vaccinations and wound debridement. After nine days of hospitalization, he was discharged on May 1.
Xiao Xing's mother said his condition seemed to have improved upon discharge, as he expressed a desire to return to kindergarten. However, his health deteriorated starting from May 7, suffering from an acute fever. One day after, he began experiencing frequent vomiting and agitation, which prompted an emergency transfer to the ICU of Nanyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital and tragically he passed away on May 9.
