A top government official involved in the government's nationwide vaccination program amid the Covid-19 outbreak has said AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine has shown the lowest incidence of side effects in the country compared to the global average, News18 reported on Thursday.
Earlier, AstraZeneca admitted that Covishield has the potential to cause a rare side effect called TTS Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), and the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said it has begun the global withdrawal of its Covid-19 vaccine Vaxzevria. TTTS is a rare condition that occurs when small blood clots suddenly form throughout the body, consuming large numbers of platelets.
According to the report, around 180 crore doses of Covishield vaccine were administered across the country during the vaccination programme, but only around 80,000 cases of adverse reactions were reported, and 98% of these events included mild local reactions such as fever and swelling on the spot. of injection etc.
“The risk of TTS was roughly 0.000003 percent with Covishield in India, while globally the risk was 0.0004 percent,” the official, on condition of anonymity, told the news portal.
The official further said that the vaccine shows no long-term effects on the human body.
If such a side effect were to occur, it would most likely manifest during the initial dose, he said.
“However, if it has not occurred by then, it is unlikely to happen later, ensuring your safety,” the official told News18, adding: “There is no reason to question the efficacy of vaccine or to expect any adverse events in the future. .”
The official further said that the incidence of adverse events was low in India because the genetic makeup of South Asian people makes them less likely to develop thrombotic and thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) compared to the genetic makeup of other population groups in Europe and other continents.
Asked whether the lower number of side effects could be due to under-reporting, the official said: “Overall, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the minimal risk of harm. Nevertheless, as a precaution, India has consistently monitored emerging signs of damage.”
Meanwhile, the Serum Institute of India, the maker of Covishield (copy of Vaxzevria), has said that the packaging of its product had “fully disclosed all unusual to extremely rare side effects”, including TTS.
“We fully understand the ongoing concerns and it is critical to emphasize our commitment to transparency and safety. From the beginning, we have disclosed all rare to very rare side effects, including thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, in the package leaflet in 2021,” the SII said.
The company added that it stopped production of additional doses of Covishield in India in December 2021.
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Published: May 9, 2024 5:18 PM IST