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India began the third phase of vaccinations against coronavirus from 1 April. People above 45 years of age, irrespective of comorbidities, are eligible to get the jabs.
Earlier, the Centre had issued guidelines to states on using Covishield and Covaxin — the two vaccines that were administered in the first phase.
Ahead of the third phase, who is not eligible to be vaccinated? What does the government say about side effects? Here’s a break down of the Centre’s fact sheet on Covishield and Covaxin.
Who is not eligible to be administered the COVID-19 vaccine?
Who are those people who are temporarily not eligible to get the vaccine?
What are the general instructions given to states on administering vaccine?
Can those with certain health conditions be administered the vaccine?
Persons with a past history of COVID-19 infection can be administered with vaccine.
Persons with a history of chronic diseases and comorbidities – cardiac, neurological, pulmonary, metabolic, and malignancies – are also included.
Persons with immunodeficiency or HIV, and patients on immunosuppression due to “any condition” can be administered the COVID-19 vaccine.
Will the vaccine be effective in those with comorbidities?
The fact sheet states the response to COVID-19 vaccine “may be less in these individuals.” However, further information on this is awaited.
When should the vial be discarded?
If the vaccine in the vial is frozen, it should be discarded before administering.
What are the common adverse events with Covishield vaccine?
For Covishield, the fact sheet says some mild adverse events can happen following immunisation:
What are the common adverse events with Covaxin vaccine?
According to the Centre’s fact sheet, these are the common adverse events after administering Covaxin.
Bharat Biotech has claimed that no serious adverse event has been reported in Phase 1 and 2.
What should I do if I experience any of these symptoms?
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