ASTRAZENECA HALTS COVID-19 VACCINE GLOBALLY DUE TO RARE SIDE-EFFECTS
Why in the news?
AstraZeneca, known for its COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, withdraws globally due to rare side-effects and surplus availability of updated vaccines.
source:reuters
Key Points:AstraZeneca Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine:
- AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University, has commenced the global withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine.
- Marketed as ‘Covishield’ in India through a partnership with the Serum Institute of India, the vaccine is being recalled due to reported rare side-effects such as blood clotting and decreased platelet counts.
What is Covishield ?
● Covishield is the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produced in India. ● Manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune. ● The Indian government cautioned its use for individuals with thrombocytopenia. ● Administered in India since January 16, 2021. ● Thromboembolic events reported at 0.61 cases per million doses. ● Covishield has a positive benefit-risk profile, per the Union Health Ministry. ● European countries temporarily halted AstraZeneca vaccine use in March 2021 due to blood clotting concerns. ● WHO noted cases of Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) post-Covishield vaccination. ● WHO stated the risk of TTS with Covershield is very low based on available data. AssociatedArticle:https://universalinstitutions.com/sc-petition-requests-expert-panel-to-probe-covishield-vaccines-safety/ |