London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

'Oldest woman in the world' found at age of 124 while getting Covid vaccine

'Oldest woman in the world' found at age of 124 while getting Covid vaccine

India’s push to vaccinate its elderly population may just have uncovered the oldest woman on the planet.

According to reports in India, medics came across Rehtee Begum when they were going door-to-door to administer vaccines.

She gave her age as 124, a whopping seven years older than Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman who has a verified age of 117.

In fact, 124 would make her two years older than Jeanne Calment, a French woman who died at 122 in 1997 who is officially recognised as the oldest ever.

The Indian grandmother from the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir showed vaccinators a ration card giving her age as 124.

There has been no official corroboration of her age but health workers were satisfied enough to release the information.

A doctor confirmed she was given a jab on Wednesday at a mobile inoculation unit, as did the region’s department of information.

Rehtee Begum – who claims to be 124 – would be the oldest woman in the word if her age could be officially verified

Her age has not been formally confirmed – but Rehtee has a ration card giving her age as 124


India has experienced a devastating wave of Covid-19 infections in recent months.

A rise in cases was fuelled by a mutation in the virus – now known as the Delta variant – which has travelled around the world to become the dominant strain in the UK and elsewhere.

The country of more than 1.3 billion has officially recorded more than 340,000 deaths but it’s believed the true toll could be higher.

India recorded 131,000 new cases on June 3, down from more than 400,000 a day at the height of its May peak.

Vaccinating the country’s large population is a monumental logistical challenge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have been criticised by India’s Supreme Court for the pace of the rollout, according to the BBC.

Reliance on mobile apps to register for jabs has been contentious in a country with large rural areas, as has a decision to make some younger people pay for jabs.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×