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A very logical question, isn't it? While the end of the pandemic is finally in sight, as India gets ready to kick-off the vaccination programme, there are many who are saying, 'Vaccine leke kuch ulta-seedha ho gaya toh? (What if something goes wrong after taking the vaccine?)’
First, side effects are common in most vaccines – and most vaccines come with these warnings. So, if you are hearing about side effects, IT'S NORMAL.
AND if something happens, the government is preparing a plan for it at each vaccine site. Before taking you through the plan, let's address some common questions.
The Union Health Ministry, in its briefing, said that an adverse event – which is side effects of the COVID-19 vaccination – cannot be ruled out, and states and Union Territories must prepare for these as part of the vaccination programme.
Even vaccination drives that have kicked-off in the US and the UK have shown side effects in many people, including severe allergic reactions in people with allergies, but very rarely have they been reported to be serious.
Side effects in medical jargon are called Adverse Events Following Immunisation, or AEFIs. According to the Centre's guidelines issued to the states and the UTs, the AEFIs of the COVID vaccine can have three categories:
The top three vaccines that are currently awaiting the government's approval in India are – Pfizer and BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. So far, the trials of these vaccines have AEFIs in the 'Minor' category or in the 'Severe' category, and the percentage of such cases is not very high.
The cases in the 'Serious' category that required hospitalisation after trials were almost negligible. Some were reported to be not linked to the vaccine. Despite that, the government has asked for more data and analyses of the trials from all the three manufacturers before giving them approval.
Here's how the government is planning and preparing for it:
Now, if the last few minutes of reading has made you a little nervous, don't worry! As multiple experts have told The Quint over the past few months, no vaccine gets approval from the government and is licensed for public use unless and until the benefits aren't proportionately larger than the risks that come along with it.
If there have been adverse events during the trials, it has only helped the vaccine manufacturers and the government prepare themselves to deal with them. So that, you and I, as citizens, can get ready for a better 2021!
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)