Covishield A senior government official overseeing nationwide vaccination efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic said the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine has shown the lowest side effects in the country compared to the global average.
According to a report by News18, a high-ranking government official overseeing the nationwide vaccination campaign against Covid-19 said that the AstraZeneca CoviShield vaccine has shown the lowest side effects in the country compared to the global average.
AstraZeneca recently admitted that Covishield, its Covid-19 vaccine, carries a risk of causing a rare side effect known as thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). This condition is accompanied by sudden small blood clots in various parts of the body, resulting in low platelet count. As a result, the pharmaceutical company has initiated a worldwide recall of its vaccinia vaccine.
The report said that around 180 crore doses of CovidShield vaccine were administered nationwide during the vaccination campaign. However, of only 80,000 cases of adverse effects documented, 98% of these events were mild local reactions such as fever and swelling at the injection site.
An anonymous government official told the news portal that in India, the probability of thrombosis in thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) with Covishield is about 0.000003 percent, while globally, the risk was about 0.0004 percent. They also said that long-term effects of the vaccine in humans have not been observed.
The official said that if a side effect were to occur, it would probably show up after the initial dose. They added that if it doesn’t appear then, it’s less likely to appear later, ensuring safety. Additionally, they assured that there is no reason to question the efficacy of the vaccine or expect any negative results down the line.
The official went on to explain that the incidence of side effects in India was minimal because the genetic make-up of South Asians makes them less likely to develop thrombotic and thrombocytopenia syndromes (TTS) compared to populations in Europe and other continents.
When questioned about the possibility of under-reporting contributing to the low rate of side effects, the official responded by emphasizing the overall benefit of vaccination compared to the minimal risk of harm. Additionally, they noted India’s ongoing efforts to monitor any emerging signs of adverse effects as a precautionary measure..
The Serum Institute of India, which makes Covishield, a version similar to Vaxzevria, says its product packaging includes comprehensive information about all possible side effects, including uncommon to extremely rare ones like TTS (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome).
“We deeply appreciate the continuing concerns and emphasize the utmost importance of transparency and safety. Since inception, we have disclosed all rare to rare side effects such as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome in the packaging insert in 2021,” said. SII
The company further added that it stopped the manufacturing of additional doses of Covishield in December 2021 in India.
In the week spanning April 28 to May 4, several notable events made headlines. AstraZeneca has raised concerns about potential side effects of the Covishield vaccine. Meanwhile, Congress party’s Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has filed his second nomination from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency. In the tech world, Alphabet made headlines for laying off members of its Python team. On a lighter note, comedian Shyam Rangela announced his decision to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These events have attracted widespread attention throughout the week.
AstraZeneca has acknowledged the possibility of blood clots as a side effect of their COVID-19 vaccine, describing these events as “extremely rare”. The statement followed reports of more than 50 cases of blood clots in individuals in the UK who received doses made by the Serum Institute of India.
