A vaccinator allegedly used a single syringe to administer Covid vaccine doses to 39 children at a private school in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar city, prompting the authorities to suspend the district vaccination officer, officials said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday at Jain Higher Secondary School in the city during a mega vaccination drive, after which an FIR was registered against the vaccinator, identified as Jitendra Ahirwar, a district official said. He has been arrested.

In a video, Ahirwar claimed his head of the department had asked him to inoculate everyone with the solitary syringe provided to him.

The 39 children, aged 15 and above, were from Classes IX to XII, a health official said.

After parents protested, Sagar’s in-charge collector Kshitij Singhal sent district chief medical and health officer Dr D.K. Goswami to inquire about the incident.

Sagar divisional commissioner Mukesh Shukla on Thursday suspended district vaccination officer Dr Shobharam Roshan.

An official from Gopal Ganj police station said they had registered an FIR against Ahirwar under IPC Section 336 (rash or negligent act endangering human life or personal safety of others).

Health officials have examined the 39 children. The reports are normal, Goswami said.