Covishield Vs Covaxin factsheet: Who cannot take the vaccine & what are the side-effects?

As the Centre urges health workers to shed 'vaccine hesitancy', both Indian vaccine manufacturers - Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech (BBL) on Tuesday, have released factsheets regarding their vaccines COVISHIELD and COVAXIN respectively. As of date, only 4,54,049 persons have been vaccinated since January 16 with 0.002% of people hospitalised post-inoculation. The Centre aims to vaccinate 3 crore frontline workers in phase-1, with 1.1 crore COVISHIELD doses and 55 lakh COVAXIN doses already purchased.

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Factsheets of COVAXIN & COVAXIN

Who should not take the vaccine? 

COVAXIN advises the following people to not take the vaccine:

• Have any allergies, fever, bleeding disorder or on blood thinner, is immunocompromised or on any medicine which affects the immune system
• Are pregnant, breastfeeding or received another COVID-19 vaccine

COVISHIELD advises the following people to not take the vaccine:

• Have a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of the vaccine or have a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient of the vaccine. The vaccine contains (L-Histidine, L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, Polysorbate 80, Ethanol, Sucrose, Sodium chloride, Disodium edetate dihydrate (EDTA), Water for injection.)
• It also advises people to inform their vaccinator if they have any allergies, fever, bleeding disorder or on blood thinner, is immunocompromised or on any medicine which affects the immune system, are pregnant, breastfeeding or received another COVID-19 vaccine

What are the symptoms post-vaccination?

• COVAXIN has the following symptoms: Injection site pean, swelling, redness; stiffness in upper arm, body ache, headache, fever, malaise, weakness, rashes, nausea and vomiting. A severe allergic reaction may occur which may display signs such as - difficulty in breathing, swelling in face or throat, fast heartbeat, rashes dizziness and weakness
• COVISHIELD has the following symptoms between 2-14 days:  fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; diarrhoea

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Difference in post-vaccination monitoring:

• COVAXIN is administered under 'clinical trial mode' - where all COVAXIN recipients will be tracked, monitored as if they’re in a trial for 3 months. . All beneficiaries have to sign a consent form which promises compensation in case of 'adverse effects'.
• COVAXIN has been given 'emergency use authorisation', hence the recipients need not be monitored and the recipient may get protective immune response 4 weeks after the second dose of the vaccine

Both vaccines have assured that no recipient will be infected by COVID-19 on being injected with a dose.

Both vaccines have been cleared for usage on adults above 18 years

Both vaccines also mandate both doses to be administered compulsorily with a gap of 4 weeks.

Taking the vaccine is not compulsory and recipients will not have a choice to choose between the vaccines

Here are the detailed fact sheets:

COVAXIN:

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COVISHIELD:

Why is COVAXIN being questioned?

The controversy over COVAXIN -  an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech, developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV) began after DCGI granted permission for restricted use in an emergency situation. Covaxin - a Whole Virion Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine - 22,500 participants vaccinated in Phase-III trials and was found to be safe as per the data available till date. Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan explained that COVAXIN is more likely to work against newer variants like N501Y Variant (UK variant) & any other variant and clarified hat COVAXIN was given a different approval i.e 'clinical trial mode' - where all COVAXIN recipients will be tracked, monitored as if they’re in trial. All beneficiaries have to sign a consent form which promises compensation in case of 'adverse effects'. These conditions and the alleged 'rush in approval' for COVAXIN have been questioned by several experts.

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