Serum Institute of India (SII), which produces AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine under the brand name Covishield in India, is facing a lawsuit in the country, a day after the latter admitted that its vaccine may in rare cases cause an adverse reaction results from a serious condition associated with spot clots.
The parents of the woman who allegedly died after taking the Covishield vaccination have decided to sue the Serum Institute of India (SII).
AstraZeneca's said its Covid-19 vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, may in rare cases cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a dangerous side effect that lowers the number of platelets and in rare cases causes blood clots.
The parents of Karunya, who died in July 2021 after receiving the Covishield vaccine dose, filed a case urging an urgent investigation into her death and access to the investigation's findings.
Karunya's parents in their writ petition have also demanded the appointment of an impartial medical board to investigate the matter.
The victim's father, Venugopalan Govindan, stated that AstraZeneca's confession came “too late”, resulting in the loss of a number of lives. “AstraZeneca and SII should have stopped production and supply of these vaccines when 15 European countries suspended them or imposed an age restriction due to deaths from blood clots in March 2021, within a few months of the rollout of the vaccine itself. ” The times of India the girl's father Govindan was quoted as saying.
A senior member of the government's Covid working group said, “Despite the unusual risk of TTS, Covishield, which was used to vaccinate 90% of India's population, has done well in India,” ET reported.
The victim's father accused the government and the vaccine maker of marketing the Covid shots as “safe and effective” across the country without providing sufficient evidence. This has cost many lives and left victims incurring huge financial costs, it was claimed.
He claimed that the rollout of Covishield was not halted nor was awareness created among communities about its possible side effects. He stated: “The regulators who approved it and then failed to act to stop it when data emerged about its dangers are all responsible for the death of my daughter and countless others who have died after ingesting this so-called vaccine.” reported TOI.
SII declined to comment on the matter, TOI reported.
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Published: May 2, 2024 11:05 AM IST