India to review COVID-19 vaccines after blood clot warning — report

FILE PHOTO: A nurse displays a vial of COVISHIELD, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a medical center in Mumbai, India, January 16, 2021. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

A government panel of experts is investigating for any domestic cases of blood clotting, even mild ones, as a side effect of the two COVID-19 vaccines being administered in India, financial daily Mint reported on Friday, citing two people aware of the development.

India is currently administering AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is manufactured by the Serum Institute and branded Covishield, and a shot developed by Bharat Biotech called COVAXIN.

The review comes after Europe’s drug regulator said on Wednesday it found a possible link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine and rare blood clotting issues in adults who had received the shot, although it added the vaccine’s advantages still outweighed the risks.

India is banking on vaccinations to help contain a record surge in cases in its second wave. The country reported a massive 126,789 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

“We are looking at side-effects of blood clots that have been seen in people who received Covishield and Covaxin, even if it was a mild case,” a source told Mint, who added that a report on it was likely to be ready by next week.

Following Europe’s announcement, several countries have announced restrictions on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in younger people.