AstraZeneca Vaccine Row: Scale of the Covishield Jab Could Impact Millions in India, Reveals Data

New Delhi: In a significant turn, AstraZeneca admitted for the first time in court documents that Covid-19 vaccine may lead to a rare side effect known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), characterised by blood clots and low platelet counts. 

In India, the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was manufactured on license of Serum Institute of India under the trade name Covishield.

With claims of vaccine reaction, notably, over 174 crore doses of Covishield was administered in India, the highest number of any vaccine shot provided to people during pandemic. 

The cumulative number of Covid vacccine doses administered so far in the country stands at 220 crore, which includes first and second dose and precautionary dose, the Ministry of Health data showed. 

Notably, nearly 80 per cent of all vaccine doses that have been administered in the country till now have been Covishield shots. 

Several data shows supply of Covaxin lagged behind Covishield despite the consistent efforts of Centre to facilitate the supply of the indigenous vaccine.

With substantial claims that Covishield may lead to a rare side effect, the number of its doses administered in India has raised alarms. It also brushes off the apprehensive viewpoint towards indigenous Covaxin. 

Out of the total vacination number, the number of Covaxin doses administered in the country stands at 36 crore, against 174 crore of Covishield, the Ministry of Health data revealed. 

AstraZeneca Admits to Vaccine Reaction

Several families raised complaint in the court, alleging that side effects of Covishield vaccine have had devastating effects. The company admitting to vaccine reaction highlights the potential risks associated with vaccination.

The lawsuit was filed by Jamie Scott, who had to suffer a brain injury after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine shot in April 2021. His case was among many others that highlighted the severe impact of the vaccine's rare side effect.

In legal documents submitted to the UK High Court, AstraZeneca agreed that its vaccine "can, in very rare cases, cause TTS."

As the legal proceedings continue, the UK has banned usage of AstraZeneca vaccine citing safety concerns. While independent researches have shown its effectiveness in tackling the Covid disease, the emergence of its side effects has prompted legal scrutiny and health actions.