British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca admitted in the court papers that its COVID vaccine, Covishield can cause rare side effects. The vaccine was developed by AstraZeneca and was produced by the Serum Institute of India. More than 175 crore doses of the Covishield Vaccine have been administered in India.
On Wednesday, the concerns over the safety of the administered vaccine reached the Supreme Court as a plea has been filed seeking setting up of an expert medical panel to study and assess the possible risk factors associated with the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, which was one of two vaccines administered in India against Covid-19.
Dr. Vikas Kumar, a neurosurgeon at Ranchi RIMS, said that between 3 to 15 side effects are anticipated for every 10 lakh people who receive the vaccination, stating an article by the American Society of Haematology. Also, 90% of them are cured. Consequently, there will be a 0.00013% chance of death. That indicates there is only one potentially fatal outcome because 13 out of 10 lakh people will experience side effects.
Additionally, according to neurosurgeon Dr. Vikas Kumar, side effects from any vaccination become apparent after six months. However, now it has been almost two years. As a result, the probability of someone taking a life is decreased.
The former scientist of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, has said that a very small number of people may face the risk of the COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield.
Out of every million individuals affected by the virus, 15,000 people’s lives were at risk, according to Dr. Sanjay Rai, an expert in community medicine at AIIMS Delhi. In this case, the fatality of the pandemic was lowered by 80–90% by immunizing this group. Here, the advantages overcame the disadvantages.
The good news is that over time, the possibility of negative effects reduces. Because side effects are rare, there are situations in which they are not a reason for concern. In India, there has never been a case of a Covid vaccination-related death.
Responding to the claims, the Union health ministry has made a notable change to the CoWIN certificates for Covid-19 vaccinations by removing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Previously, these certificates prominently featured Modi’s image along with a quote affirming India’s collective resolve to conquer coronavirus. While the quote – “Together, India will defeat COVID-19” – remains attributed to the prime minister, his name has been omitted from the certificates.
Meanwhile, renowned epidemiologist Gangakhedkar said that only seven to eight individuals out of 10 lakh who receive the Covishield vaccine face the risk of experiencing a rare side effect known as Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
“The risk is highest when you get the first dose. It lowers with the second dose and is lowest with the third,” he said. The epidemiologist also said any side effects would likely appear within the initial two to three months. He added that given the positive impact of this vaccine on millions of recipients, the associated risk is minimal.
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