May 01, 2024 03:22 PM IST
AstraZeneca recently admitted that its Covid vaccines ‘Covishield’ and ‘Vaxzevria’ can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday took a dig at BJP-led central government amid the concerns surrounding potential rare side effects of the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, saying that administering Covishield vaccine doses is a bigger crime than violating the model code of conduct (MCC).
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While speaking to the reporters, Yadav said that the action must be taken against those who put the lives of Indians in danger. “… ‘Ek May aur BJP gayi’… Think about what the people who have the certificate and have taken vaccines must be going through. Those who have given them the vaccines, the govt, action must be taken against them. They have put the lives of common people in danger. If scientists and experts are saying that the vaccine may cause heart and other health issues, who should be held responsible for it? BJP has done a bigger crime than violating the model code of conduct,” news agency ANI quoted Yadav as saying.
His remarks came after another opposition leader, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Saurabh Bharadwaj, alleged that the Centre continued to insist Indians take the Covishield jab even after there were reports suggesting that there could be side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
He also said that many people speculate a connection between the coronavirus vaccine and deaths of young people due to collapsing.
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The Delhi minister later questioned the BJP-led Centre on what plan it has to save Indians now that the vaccine manufacturing company AstraZeneca itself has admitted that the vaccine can cause heart attacks and other side effects in rare cases.
Covishield row:
The concerns were triggered after UK-headquartered pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca admitted that in “very rare cases”, its COVID-19 vaccine can cause a blood clot-related side effect. AstraZeneca admitted in a legal document submitted to the High Court in February.
The company, however, re-affirmed its vaccine safety, saying that “patient safety” is their “first priority”. “Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines,” a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said in a statement.
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria, was marketed as Covishield in India and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
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