Covishield vaccine safe, public urged to remain calm: Pulmonologists

Srinagar, May 03:In response to the Covishield vaccine controversy gripping the nation, pulmonologists based in Kashmir have come forward to allay fears, asserting that there are no side effects of the vaccine and urging people not to panic.
Dr. Rafi Ahmad Jan, Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at GMC Anantnag/Ex HOD Pulmonary Medicine SKIMS Soura, emphasized, “We have not proved whether the side effects are that of Covishield, which was a non-live vaccine. There is no hard evidence on it.”
He further differentiated between Covishield and Pfizer vaccine, highlighting that while there is hard evidence of side effects with Pfizer vaccine, the same cannot be said for Covishield. “People should not get scared about it. We have not noticed any such case. We have not proved it and there is no hard evidence about it,” he reassured.
Similarly, Dr.Naveed Shah, Head of the Department of Chest Medicine at Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar, echoed the sentiment, stating, “There is no need to panic and the incidents of clots are negligible.”
Explaining the rationale behind the reassurance, Dr. Shah remarked, “If we give any vaccine or any medicine to any patient everything has side effects. Even if we take multivitamins there are side effects.”
The doctors emphasized that while vaccines normally undergo extensive phases of trials, the Covid-19 vaccine did not follow the same due to the urgency of the pandemic. However, they highlighted that the trials conducted showed minimal side effects.
Addressing concerns raised about the safety of the Covishield vaccine, particularly in light of recent revelations by AstraZeneca regarding the rare side effect of blood clotting, the doctors stressed that such incidents were exceedingly rare, with only one person in one crore population experiencing side effects.
The admission by global pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca regarding the rare side effect, Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), has sparked questions about the safety of the Covishield vaccine administered in India through 175 crore doses.
In response to mounting concerns, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court earlier this month seeking the formation of a panel of medical experts from AIIMS, Delhi, to study the Covishield vaccine and examine its side-effects and risk factors.