'Vaccines 110% Safe; Else Wouldn't Approve,' Says DCGI; Rubbishes SP's Impotency Claim

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday approved Serum Insititute's 'Covishield' for emergency use, along with Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin'.  Even as Congress and Samajwadi Party has raised questions on the efficacy of COVID vaccines, at a time when the third phase trial result of Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' is not out while SP thinks Covishield is 'BJP's vaccine', Dr VG Somani, Drug Controller General of India, has addressed those questions.

Somani said that they will never approve anything if there is the slightest safety concern, while also asserting that the vaccines are 110% safe. However, he added a cautionary note that side effects like mild fever, pain & allergy are common for every vaccine. On Samajwadi Party leader claiming vaccine will make people impotent, the DGCI said that his statements are "absolute rubbish".

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Congress Seeks Centre's Clarification 

Congress' Jairam Ramesh has asked as to why the internationally accepted protocol is being modified for approving Covaxin. In a tweet on Sunday, Ramesh said that Phase 3 trials protocol have been modified for the Bharat Biotech vaccine candidate. He urged Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to clarify on the same. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also raised similar concerns. Moreover, in a bizzare statement, Ashutosh Sinha, SP's Mirzapur MLC, said that vaccine can "even make someone impotent"'. This, a day after SP leader and ex-Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav said, 'I will not get vaccinated - that too on BJP's vaccine (COVID-19), as I don't trust it.'

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