AstraZeneca’s Covishield Vaccine Acknowledges Rare Side-Effect: Should You Be Concerned?

British pharmaceutical giant, AstraZeneca, has recently disclosed the potential risk associated with its Covid vaccine, known as Covishield in India, acknowledging the rare side-effect of Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).

The UK High Court revealed that AstraZeneca has admitted in court documents the vaccine’s correlation with TTS, a severe blood clot disorder, marking a significant development in the ongoing litigations.

Covishield, produced in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India and developed with Oxford University, has been extensively distributed in India, reaching nearly 90% of the Indian population.

The specific blood clot disorder, TTS, has been identified as a rare adverse effect of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine, with incidents reported as low as one in 50,000 individuals, constituting a minute percentage but a significant number given the large-scale vaccination drives.

Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Ishwar Gilada from the People’s Health Organisation-India in Mumbai, highlighted the unique immune response triggering TTS, emphasizing the potential dangers outweighing the advantages of the jab.

The association of the AstraZeneca vaccine with TTS has raised concerns globally, with Pfizer also facing similar litigations over vaccine-related issues in various countries.

Notably, Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a Neurologist at Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, mentioned that adverse effects typically manifest within weeks post-vaccination, alleviating immediate worries for individuals in India who received Covishield doses earlier.