Mumbai Crime: Thieves rob children’s shots, thinking they are Covid-19 vaccine

The thieves unscrewed the grille on the bathroom window and entered the PHC

A night robbery at Ulhasnagar PHC has the police guessing that the thieves were after anti-Coronavirus vaccines, particularly Covishield. Unidentified persons broke into the health centre on Sunday and made away with 300 vials of different vaccines meant for children.

The thieves must have believed that they got their hands on Covid-19 vaccine vials, as they had Serum Institute of India's stickers. They also made away with the DVR of the CCTV camera and the monitor, leaving no visual evidence behind.

The Hill Line police station has registered a case of house breaking against an unknown person. The theft came to light at 9 am on Monday when employees of Mangrul Primary Health Centre, Ulhasnagar, came to work. Vaccine vials were scattered on the floor and the lock of the fridge, used as cold storage for vaccines, was broken, said the staff.

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"When we started checking the remaining stock, we found that 25 vials of anti-TB vaccines, 17 vials of whooping cough, 13 vials of tetanus, 15 vials of polio, 30 vials of rubella and 270 vials of RotaVirus were missing from the fridge," said an employee. They destroyed some vials as well. The robbers unscrewed the grille on the bathroom window and entered the PHC.

"We do get Covid-19 vaccines, but we haven't received any since Friday due to the shortage. Thieves made away with 40 per cent of the available stocks of children's vaccines," said Dr Deepak Chavha, Mangrul PHC's medical officer.

"It looks like the thieves broke into the PHC thinking it had Covid-19 vaccines. Many vaccines have the tag of Serum institute of India, one of the manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccine in India," said M K Khandare, senior inspector, Hill Line police station.

"We have formed teams to hunt them down. An offence has been registered under Section 380 (theft), 427 (mischief and loss of property), 454 (house breaking), 457 (house breaking at night) of the Indian Penal Code," he added.

300
No. of vials that were stolen