'Ill-informed and erroneous': What govt said about reports on COVID vaccine side-effects [details]

The Union health ministry on Tuesday refuted RTI-based media reports regarding multiple side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine. 

"It is clarified that the news report is ill-informed and provides erroneous information," stated the ministry. 

Further, it said that the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) had only provided responses related to the advantages and disadvantages of Covid-19 vaccines.

"The ICMR response simply provided links of reputed websites of World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India where compiled global evidence on various Covid-19 vaccines is available," said the ministry.

"As is the case with all other vaccines, those who get vaccinated with different Covid-19 vaccines may experience mild symptoms like injection site tenderness, pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, chills, arthralgia etc. Rarely, few individuals may experience severe adverse events depending upon certain pre-disposing conditions," it added. 

The ministry also cited global research studies, without naming any, to say that the vaccines have helped in reducing the severity of disease by preventing hospitalizations and deaths due to the disease. 

"In India, NTAGI (National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) has periodically reviewed the benefits and side effects of Covid-19 vaccines used in India and has endorsed the above findings," it said. 

"In addition, CDSCO stated as part of the RTI reply that the list of Covid vaccines approved by the national Drugs Controller General is available on the website (cdsco.gov.in). CDSCO also informed that they have no other information with them on the subject," it added. 

What did the media report say?

A recent report claimed that the ICMR and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had cited in response to an RTI reply "a plethora of ramifications arising out of all these vaccines".

According to a report by news agency IANS, the government agencies in an RTI reply to Pune businessman Prafful Sarda said that Covishield takes the lion's share of its after-effects on the jabbed janta -- injection site tenderness or pain, multiple red spots or bruises beyond the injected site, persistent vomiting without reasons, severe or persistent abdominal pains or headaches with or without vomiting, shortness of breath, chest pains, pain in limbs or swelling on pressing of calf/arms, weakness/paralysis of limbs of any particular side or parts of the body, including cranial nerves, unprecedented seizures, pain in eyes, blurred vision or diplopia, change in mental status, encephalopathy or depressed level of consciousness.

Covovax side-effects are injection site pain/tenderness/induration, fatigue, malaise, headaches, fever, soreness of muscles, joint pains, nausea of vomiting, chills, body-ache or extreme pain in limbs, Asthenia (weakness or lack of energy), Injection site pruritus (itching, rash, red skin, hives), enlarged lymph nodes, back pains, and rarely dizziness or drowsiness.

Covaxin displays mild symptoms AEFIs like injection site pain/swelling, headaches, fatigue, fever, bodyache, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, giddiness, tremors, sweating, cold and cough.

Sputnik V manifests with chills, fever, arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia, headaches, general discomfort, injection site pain/swelling/hyperaemia, or nausea, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, or occasional enlarged regional lymph nodes.

CorBEvax shows effects like fever/pyrexia, headaches, fatigue, body pains, myalgia, nausea, or arthralgia, urticaria, chills, lethargy, besides injection site pain/erythema, swelling, rash, pruritis or irritation.

With inputs from agencies.