This data comes as states have reported hesitancy during the immunisation drive, especially among those being injected with Covaxin as it requires a signed consent form from the beneficiary.
AgenciesIndia’s Covid-19 vaccine programme began on January 16 and has so far covered about 6.8 million people.
New Delhi: The proportion of adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) by Covishield has exceeded that for Covaxin, according to health ministry data. However, these have been minor for both and should put to rest any doubts about their safety, health officials and experts said. India’s Covid-19 vaccine programme began on January 16 and has so far covered about 6.8 million people.
AEFIs for Covishield, made by Serum Institute of India (SII) and based on AstraZeneca-Oxford University technology — numbered 8,402 or 0.192% of jabs, according to all-India data collated by the ministry of health and family welfare until February 4. Adverse events after administering Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin numbered 81 or 0.096%, it said.
Most of these AEFIs are minor such as anxiety, vertigo, giddiness, dizziness, fever, pain, rashes and headache, which are self-limiting — people will recover on their own. No AEFI-related death has been reported in India.
Medical experts said the data should reassure those who are unsure about safety. “Covishield is a vector-based vaccine, which is known to be more reactogenic. But reactogenic does not mean vaccine is unsafe,” said Naveen Thacker, executive director, International Paediatric Association and former civil society organisation representative on the Gavi board. “Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine — a well-known safe platform, being used for 200 years.”
This data comes as states have reported hesitancy during the immunisation drive, especially among those being injected with Covaxin as it requires a signed consent form from the beneficiary.
“The medical fraternity never raised questions over safety of the two vaccines but on availability of efficacy data for Covaxin,” Thacker said. “The difference in protocols followed at vaccination centres has given rise to hesitancy, which is unfortunate but should improve.”
Some experts said AEFIs should be interpreted in terms of severity, rather than statistics. “Our vaccines have reported very low AEFIs. If we talk about mild AEFIs, they are not significant and not a single death has been related to vaccination in India,” said Manoj Goel, director, pulmonology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute. “Vaccination is the only way forward to attain herd immunity and that is what we are working towards.”
Agencies
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