Serum Institute says they disclosed rare side-effects of Covishield vaccine since 2021

The Serum Institute of India (SII), based in Pune, announced on Wednesday that it had disclosed all rare to very rare side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, known as Covishield, in the packaging insert since 2021. 

This statement from SII comes in the wake of UK-based pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s decision to withdraw its Covid-19 vaccine globally due to an ‘abundance of updated vaccines’ available amidst the ongoing pandemic.

AstraZeneca had previously acknowledged in a UK court that its vaccine could, in very rare cases, lead to a side effect known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). Covishield, manufactured by SII, utilized AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine formula.

As India achieved high vaccination rates in 2021 and 2022, along with the emergence of new mutant variant strains, the demand for previous vaccines dwindled significantly. Consequently, SII halted the manufacturing and supply of additional doses of Covishield since December 2021, as stated in the released statement.

Regarding the potential side effects of the vaccine, SII emphasized that it fully comprehended the concerns. The institute reiterated that it had disclosed all rare to very rare side effects, including thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), in the packaging insert since 2021. 

TTS refers to the formation of blood clots with low platelet counts, a condition that, although rare, can be serious, especially when blood clots occur in major vessels, according to health experts.