In a recent development, AstraZeneca has admitted in a UK court that its COVID vaccine can cause blood clots in rare cases.
Following this revelation, a group of doctors in India has expressed concern over the safety of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. The doctors, under the banner of the Awaken India Movement (AIM), have urged the government to review the science behind all COVID vaccines and audit their commercialization. They also stressed the importance of implementing active surveillance and monitoring mechanisms to identify vaccine adverse events as early as possible.
Dr. Tarun Kothari, a radiologist and activist, criticized the government for ignoring the increasing number of deaths post-COVID vaccination and promoting vaccines as safe without proper scientific investigation. Dr. Sujata Mittal, a gynecologist and oncologist, highlighted the low awareness around vaccine injuries in India and mentioned that thousands of women reported abnormalities in their menstrual cycles as a side effect of the vaccine.
The AIM is collecting details of COVID vaccine deaths and sharing them with authorities in India, but the government has failed to respond to their requests for investigation. The group is demanding compensation for vaccine victims and their families, as well as the establishment of fast-track courts and vaccine courts to provide swift justice to those injured by vaccines.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca has initiated a global withdrawal of its COVID vaccine due to a surplus of available updated vaccines and after admitting to rare side effects such as blood clotting. In India, the Serum Institute of India, AstraZeneca's partner, has stopped manufacturing and supplying additional doses of Covishield since December 2021. The vaccine was developed in partnership with Oxford University and sold as Vaxzevria in Europe.
Overall, these developments raise concerns about the safety of COVID vaccines, particularly Covishield, and highlight the need for further investigation and monitoring of vaccine adverse events.
