One severe reaction in Delhi, person is stable

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old had a severe allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis, after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the only severe reaction reported in Delhi on the first day of the national vaccine roll-out.

Anaphylaxis causes skin rash, nausea, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, and shock, if not treated promptly.

The facility had been administering Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

“An AIIMS security guard has developed an allergic reaction after receiving Covid-19 vaccination here today. He is kept under observation of doctors at the hospital,” an AIIMS official said.

In all, Delhi reported 51 minor reactions such as rashes, swelling at the injection site, or fever.

A senior New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) official said two cases of mild AEFI (adverse effects following immunisation) symptoms were reported at Charak Palika Hospital. Two of the hospital’s health care workers who took the Covid-19 vaccine in the afternoon, reported slight tightness in the chest during the observation period.

“They were immediately attended to by the AEFI team and kept under observation. They felt normal within half-anhour and were discharged. There is nothing to worry about AEFI cases, as such symptoms are normal to occur after any vaccination,” the official said.

Hospitals across the city said they were equipped to deal with any adverse events.