COVID-19 vaccination drive: Healthcare workers hesitant to take India’s indigenous Covaxin jab, says report

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KEY STORY

  • New Delhi: Hospitals administering the COVID-19 vaccine have reported a higher percentage of beneficiaries are willing to take the Covishield shot and not Covaxin.
  • According to hospitals administering the vaccine, a higher percentage of healthcare workers are opting for the Covishield shot.
  • A report by TOI said that Delhi doctors are more apprehensive in taking Covaxin due to lack of efficacy data.
  • On January 19, Bharat Biotech had released a factsheet advising people not to take Covaxin if they are immuno-compromised or on medication that affects their immune system. It further said that people taking the jab should disclose to their vaccination officer if they have any allergies or other serious health-related issues.

    Confusion, dissatisfaction among healthcare workers

  • The report further states that Covaxin is being administered in six central government-run hospitals in Delhi whereas Covishield is being given in all state-run and private hospitals. This has led to confusion and dissatisfaction among healthcare workers.
  • Many doctors and PG students in Bihar are not willing to take Covaxin as the third trial of this vaccine is in its initial stage.
  • On the second day of the immunisation drive against COVID-19, Delhi recorded around 17 per cent lesser vaccination than the previous session.

    RML hospital docs want Covishield

     

  • On January 16, resident doctors at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital had expressed reservations over taking Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech due to its incomplete clinical trial data and requested the hospital administration to vaccinate them with the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’.

     

  • In a letter to the medical superintendent, the doctors wrote, “The residents are a bit apprehensive about the lack of complete trial in case of Covaxin and might not participate in huge numbers thus defeating the purpose of vaccination. We request you to vaccinate us with Covishield which has completed all stages of the trial before its rollout.”

     

  • To allay the fears, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had to assure people that there is no need to be afraid and expressed confidence in the Indian experts and scientists.

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