New Delhi: Former ICMR scientist Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar has said that only a small fraction of individuals, approximately seven to eight out of every 10 lakh recipients of the Covishield vaccine, are at risk of encountering a rare side effect called thrombosis thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Gangakhedkar reassured that for those who have received this vaccine, the risk is virtually non-existent.
According to reports from News 18, Dr. Gangakhedkar said that the likelihood of experiencing this side effect is highest after the first dose, decreases after the second dose, and is minimal after the third dose. Any adverse effects typically manifest within the initial two to three months.
UK media reports citing court documents revealed that AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company behind the Covid vaccine, AZ Vaxzevria (also known as Covishield), has acknowledged the rare possibility of blood clot-related side effects. Despite this acknowledgment, Dr. Gangakhedkar stressed that within six months of the vaccine’s launch, TTS was identified as an infrequent occurrence associated with adenovirus vector vaccines, indicating no new revelations in understanding the vaccine’s safety profile.
Dr. Gangakhedkar urged the public to recognize that the risk of experiencing TTS after receiving the Covishield vaccine is minimal, with only around 7 to 8 individuals out of 10 lakh recipients affected. He said that when weighed against the benefits of vaccination, the associated risks are negligible.
Dr. Gangakhedkar explained that in emergency situations like the Covid-19 pandemic, regulatory approval for vaccines or medications involves careful consideration of risk versus benefit. Despite the acknowledged rare side effects, the benefits of the Covishield vaccine far outweigh any potential risks, according to him.
Drawing a comparison, Dr. Gangakhedkar likened the rare chances of vaccine-related harm to everyday risks encountered, such as driving on the road or undergoing medical treatments like vitamin injections, which also carry minimal but existing risks.
According to a report from The Daily Telegraph, AstraZeneca acknowledged in a legal filing submitted to the high court in London in February, as part of a group action involving 51 claimants, that its Covid-19 vaccine, developed jointly with the University of Oxford, could potentially cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in “extremely rare instances.”
