Pune: Parents Raise Concerns of Expired JE Vaccine Given to One-Year-Old in Koregaon Park
Reported by Radhika Sharma
Koregaon Park, 18th September 2026: A Pune family has raised a patient-safety complaint after alleging that their one-year-old son was administered an expired Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine at Dr B. S. Ratta’s clinic in Koregaon Park on September 17, 2026.
According to the family, they visited the clinic for the child’s scheduled vaccination. The vaccine was administered on the doctor’s recommendation. The parents later claim they noticed that the vial carried an expiry date of July 2026.
When the family raised concerns at the clinic, staff allegedly told them that vaccines could be administered for two to three months after their expiry date. The parents said they asked for proof supporting the claim.
The family also alleges that clinic staff said the vaccine inventory was checked every Monday but acknowledged that a mistake had occurred. The parents questioned how an expired vial remained available despite the clinic’s reported weekly checks.
“Administering an expired vaccine to a one-year-old child is an extremely serious patient-safety matter,” the family said. They added that they planned to approach the relevant medical and regulatory authorities.
In a written response shared by the family, Dr B. S. Ratta apologised and acknowledged the reported oversight. “Please accept our formal and sincerest apologies regarding the vaccine today. We take full responsibility for this oversight,” the doctor reportedly wrote.
The response stated that the child’s health and safety were the immediate priority and said expired vaccines generally lose potency rather than cause adverse health effects.
The family has also reported swelling in the child’s arm some time after the vaccination.
The parents said they would seek an investigation into how the alleged expired vaccine was administered and what checks failed at the clinic.
