Side-effect claims: India will examine Covishield, Covaxin data this week

As some European countries suspended the use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines due to blood clot scare, India's apex committee on post-vaccination adverse effects will examine later this week the data related to Covishield and Covaxin vaccines.

The National Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) committee, in-charge of probing the side effects, will review both Covishield and Covaxin being administered to Indians in the ongoing inoculation drive which began on January 16 in the country, a Health Ministry official said.

A preliminary review conducted towards the end of last week prima facie brought out no cause for concern, according to the head of one of the Covid-19 task forces of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

While Covishield is manufactured by Serum Institute of India, Covaxin -- India's home-grown vaccine -- was developed by ICMR-National Institute of Virology and produced by Bharat Biotech.

India, so far, reported 200 adverse events of the vaccination as the vaccination coverage crossed the 3.29 crore mark.