"Ill-informed and erroneous': Govt refutes reports claiming admission of COVID vaccine side-effects

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation had shared the list of COVID-19 vaccines approved by it, the government said. (Image: AP)

The Union health ministry on January 17 refuted media reports based on response to a Right to Information (RTI) query that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO ) had admitted to multiple side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

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

It added that the ICMR had simply provided a list of advantages and disadvantages of COVID-19 vaccines through reputed websites of World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the ministry, where compiled global evidence on various COVID-19 vaccines available.

"As is the case with all other vaccines, those who get vaccinated with different COVID-19 vaccines may experience mild symptoms like injection site tenderness, pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, chills, arthralgia etc. Rarely, few individuals may experience severe adverse events depending upon certain pre-disposing conditions," clarified the government.

It also said that rarely, a few individuals may experience severe adverse events depending upon certain pre-disposing conditions.

Global research studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccination has helped in reducing the severity of disease by preventing hospitalizations and deaths due to the infectious disease and benefits of the vaccines overwhelmingly outweigh any adverse effects, the government further stated.

In India, NTAGI (National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) has periodically reviewed the benefits and side effects of Covid-19 vaccines used in India and has endorsed the above findings.

In addition, the CDSCO, in its RTI reply had shared the list of COVID-19 vaccines approved by it, the government maintained.

According to health ministry's latest data, India has administered over 2.2 billion vaccine doses to its citizens.

Meanwhile, India on January 17 recorded 89 new coronavirus infections, the lowest since March 27, 2020, while the active cases declined to 2,035, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The Covid case tally stood at 4.46 crore (4,46,81,233).

The death count stands at 5,30,726, the data updated at 8 am stated.