NEW DELHI (AP) – Bharat Biotech, developer of the coronavirus vaccine in India, on Tuesday warned people with weak immunity and other medical conditions, including allergies, fever or a bleeding disorder, to consult a doctor before taking the get a chance – and avoid the vaccine if possible.
The company said those receiving vaccinations should disclose their medical condition, medication they are using and any history of allergies. It is said that severe allergic reactions among vaccines can include breathing problems, swelling of the face and throat, rapid heartbeat, rash on the body, dizziness and weakness.
The vaccine, developed by Bharat Biotech, has been embroiled in controversy after the Indian government allowed it without concrete data showing its effectiveness in preventing COVID-19. Tens of thousands of people have been given the chance over the past three days after India began vaccinating health workers in what is probably the biggest coronavirus vaccination campaign this past weekend.
India vaccinated 148,266 people on Monday, rising the total to 381,305, the health ministry said.
Indian authorities hope to vaccinate 300 million people. The recipients should include 30 million doctors, nurses and other front-line workers, followed by 270 million people over the age of 50 or who have diseases that make them vulnerable to COVID-19.
India approves on 4 January the emergency use of two vaccines, one developed by the University of Oxford and UK medicine manufacturer AstraZeneca, and the other by Bharat Biotech. The regulator took the step without publishing information on the efficacy of the Indian vaccine.
Bharat Biotech still has not published data on the efficacy of the vaccine, but said it meets the guidelines for clinical trials.
The regulator maintains that the vaccine is safe and has given approval in the belief that it could be more effective in tackling a new variant of the coronavirus found in the UK. .
Most hospitals in India vaccinate health workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine. But the rise, especially in the hospitals using the Bharat Biotech vaccine, was relatively low, health officials said.
Hospitals in New Delhi administering the Bharat Biotech vaccine have seen many doctors hesitate to take the plunge.
Dr. Vinod K. Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog, a government think tank, said the concern about adverse effects of the vaccine seemed ‘unfounded and insignificant’.
“If our health workers, especially doctors and nurses, take it down, it’s very unfortunate,” Paul told reporters. “Healthcare workers need to have confidence in our system.”
The vaccination process began at a time when coronavirus infections had dropped sharply, and much of life had returned to normal.
India ranks second in the United States in the number of confirmed cases, with more than 10.5 million. The country ranks third in the number of reported deaths, behind the US and Brazil, with more than 152,000.