Media Reports on ‘Multiple Side-Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines’ Ill-Informed and Erroneous: Health Ministry

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 18th Jan. The Union Health Ministry stated on Tuesday that media reports claiming admission of ‘multiple side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines’ by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) officials are inaccurate.

According to a recent news report citing an RTI response, ICMR and CDSCO officials have admitted to side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, citing a slew of ramifications.

“It is clarified that the news report is ill-informed and provides erroneous information,” the ministry said, referring to the report.

In accordance with the Union Ministry of Health’s policy of proactive disclosure aligned with global scientific evidence in the public domain, the ICMR responds to RTI Act questions about the benefits and drawbacks of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the ministry, the ICMR response simply provided links to reputable websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Ministry of Health where compiled global evidence on various COVID-19 vaccines is available.

Those who receive different COVID-19 vaccines may experience mild symptoms such as injection site tenderness, pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, chills, arthralgia, and so on. According to the statement, a handful of individuals may experience severe adverse events due to certain predisposing conditions.

Global research studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccination has helped to reduce disease severity by preventing hospitalizations and deaths caused by COVID-19, and the benefits of the vaccines far outweigh any negative effects.

In India, the NTAGI (National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) has periodically reviewed the benefits and side-effects of Covid vaccines used in the country and has endorsed the above findings.

In addition, the CDSCO stated as part of the RTI reply that the list of COVID-19 vaccines approved by the National Drugs Controller General is available on the website cdsco.gov.in. The CDSCO also informed that it has no other information on the subject.

It may be noted that the ICMR has not commented on any of the documents, links of which have been shared as part of the RTI response, the statement stated.