Astra Zeneca revelation: No need for panic, say experts

Hyderabad: Even as the UK-based vaccine manufacturing company Astra Zeneca admits Covishield can cause side effects, health experts opined there was no need for panic as the side effects, if any, would have happened within three-four weeks of taking the vaccine.

Experts say the claims by the company were not new information. Senior Paediatrician Dr Sivaraniani Santosh said the news on Covishield being responsible for TTS (Thrombocytosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome) may be worrying, but people should note that this was not new information.

“This was a known vaccine-related adverse effect which is extremely rare. Given the situation during Covid waves, the risk of not taking the vaccine was much more than the risk of taking the vaccine. So most of us took the vaccine,” he said.

Dr Santosh further said, “The adverse effect if at all would have happened within three-four weeks of taking the vaccine, and not now. So, don’t panic please! All strokes and heart attacks were not due to the vaccine please! Covid per se had accounted for many such complications. In fact, TTS is an extremely rare adverse reaction to the vaccine.”

Telangana State Medical Council member Dr Pratibha Lakshmi said, “I still feel we cannot attribute everything to the vaccine, but we should also think of the virus.”

Consultant EMRI Green Health Services Dr Madap Karuna said after seeing stroke cardiac/ neurovascular post Covid or post vaccine there was a need to determine the possible action on need to evaluate a controlled and diseased study. “Further post-mortem of young strokes cardiac and neuro vascular and simultaneously give risk evaluation protocol for common man should be taken up. Who will do, IMA, Health ministry?” she asked.

Pharmacologist Akula Sanjay Reddy said generally it takes 13 years for bringing out a vaccine, but Covishield was brought into the market within six months.

Besides this, for every 5,000 medicines coming into the market only one gets approval. “The vaccine which should have come after a research of 13-14 years has come in just few months. How much safety it will have,” he questioned.