Former ICMR Scientist: Only 7 Out Of Every 10 Lakh People May Face Clotting Risk Due To Covishield
Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar , a leading epidemiologist and former scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has emphasized that the risk of experiencing a rare side effect called thrombosis thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after receiving the Covishield vaccine is extremely low, estimated at only seven to eight cases per one million vaccinated individuals.
He has emphasized that individuals who have received this vaccine face "no risk at all" of encountering this side effect.
Gangakhedkar said, “the risk is highest when you get the first dose but it lowers with the second dose and is lowest with the third. If a side effect has to happen, it will show up within the initial two to three months.”
As per reports from UK media citing court documents, AstraZeneca, a major pharmaceutical company headquartered in the UK, has acknowledged that its Covid vaccine can rarely cause a side effect related to blood clots. The vaccine, called AZ Vaxzevria, is also manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and is known as Covishield . Covishield is used to vaccinate at least 90% of India's population.
Gangakhedkar said, “the risk is highest when you get the first dose but it lowers with the second dose and is lowest with the third. If a side effect has to happen, it will show up within the initial two to three months.”
As per reports from UK media citing court documents, AstraZeneca, a major pharmaceutical company headquartered in the UK, has acknowledged that its Covid vaccine can rarely cause a side effect related to blood clots. The vaccine, called AZ Vaxzevria, is also manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and is known as Covishield . Covishield is used to vaccinate at least 90% of India's population.
Dr. Gangakhedkar, the prominent figure representing the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) during Covid-19 government briefings, stated that “within six months of the launch of the vaccine, TTS was recognised as a rare side effect of the adenovirus vector vaccine. There is nothing new or change in understanding of the vaccine.”
“There is a need to understand that the risk is close to just 7 to 8 people out of 10 lakh getting the vaccine,” he added.
Gangakhedkar emphasized that considering the significant positive effects of this vaccine, benefiting millions who are alive and well, the associated risks are minimal. According to a report by The Daily Telegraph, AstraZeneca acknowledged in a legal document submitted to the high court in London in February for a group action involving 51 claimants that its vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford to combat Covid-19, may cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in "very rare instances."
In emergencies such as pandemics, vaccines or medications are usually approved following a thorough analysis of risks versus benefits by experts.
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