Key Points:
- After some recipients that were jabbed during the vaccination drive in India complained of unusual blood-related illnesses, Indian drug regulators are expected to review data on one of the two candidate vaccines in its national COVID-19 vaccination drive.
- “All deaths and hospitalizations following immunization are going to be re-looked at,” Dr NK Arora, member of the National Task Force on Covid-19 told India Today on Saturday.
- Bhushan, on Thursday, said that data related to AEFI was not being shared because it was “minuscule.”
After some recipients that were jabbed during the vaccination drive in India complained of unusual blood-related illnesses, Indian drug regulators are expected to review data on one of the two candidate vaccines in its national COVID-19 vaccination drive.
The Indian company Serum Institute has a contract with AstraZeneca which is derived from the AZD1222 vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, and licensed to AstraZeneca Plc, a British-Swedish drugmaker in order to manufacture Covishield (the Indian name to AstraZeneca) doses and a purchase agreement with the Indian government.
The Government of India is reviewing all deaths and hospitalizations related to vaccine dosage, a top official has confirmed to India Today.
“All deaths and hospitalizations following immunization are going to be re-looked at,” Dr NK Arora, member of the National Task Force on Covid-19 told India Today on Saturday.
The country’s like Denmark, Norway and Iceland have suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ stating concerns about the possibility of it leading to blood clots. AstraZeneca, an Anglo-Swedish company that developed the vaccine with Oxford University, has defended the safety of its product. The studies of Covishield are still underway in India but the vaccine has been cleared for restricted use as per the criteria spelled out by the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI).
Bhushan, on Thursday, said that data related to AEFI was not being shared because it was “minuscule.” “Since you have demanded, it is 0.020 per cent of the immunizations done,” Rajesh Bhushan added saying its insignificant.
