26 adverse events in Capital on Monday, two hospitalised: Govt
NEW DELHI: Two people, among over 3,500 people who received coronavirus vaccines on Monday, were reported to have suffered ‘severe’ adverse effects following immunisation (AEFI).
One of them suffered a severe allergic reaction, while the other had an abnormal heart rhythm, as the vaccination programme entered its second day in the national capital. Both who suffered the adverse reactions were administered the Covishield vaccine, which is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
No adverse events were reported in those who were administered Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin on Monday, according to data seen by HT.
Other than the two severe adverse reactions, 24 minor reactions such as rashes, swelling at the site of injection, and fever were reported in the city on Monday.
On Saturday, a 22-year-old security guard from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, who had been given a Covaxin jab, had suffered anaphylaxis and was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital. He was discharged on Sunday.
Adverse events are observed with most vaccines and can range from pain, mild swelling at injection site and body ache to breathlessness and hospitlisation. Experts said AEFIS needed to be evaluated in the context of risk-and-benefits associated with immunization.
In the case of coronavirus vaccines, the government has said that there can be mild AEFIS, such as pain and swelling at the site of injection, mild fever, nausea, giddiness and mild rashes. Serious AEFIS can be a severe allergic reaction, such as an anaphylactic shock, which could potentially require hospitalisation.
One of the severe adverse reactions was reported in a 27-year-old doctor from Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital whose heartbeat turned irregular after getting the shot.
“Her heart was skipping a beat, according to the doctors at the hospital. She was immediately admitted to the hospital. She is stable,” said a senior official from east district, where the hospital is located.
The second reaction was reported in a 45 year-old doctor at south-west Delhi’s Venkateshwar hospital who had anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction where the membranes of the throat start swelling up, preventing a person from breathing.
After receiving the vaccine, the doctor reported a choking sensation and difficulty swallowing. “She was kept under observation for a few hours, after which she was discharged,” said a senior official from the district.
Both who suffered the adverse events on Monday were women.
Other than that, two serious adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) from Saturday’s drive were reported later on. One was in a security guard at Max hospital Patparganj, whose blood pressure plummeted after receiving the shot. The second was at Northern Railway hospital, according to details provided by the Union health ministry.
“The acceptable level of AEFI would ideally be zero, but that is not the case. I think it is around 0.2% and yet we are focussing on that and not the 99.8% benefit,” said Dr Shahid Jameel, director of Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University and former CEO of Wellcome Trust/dbt India Alliance.