NEW DELHI (AP) – Indian developer of the coronavirus vaccine, Bharat Biotech, on Tuesday warned people with weak immunity and other medical conditions, including allergies, fever or a bleeding disorder, to see a doctor before getting the injection – and avoid the vaccine if possible.
The company said that those who receive vaccinations should disclose their medical condition, the medications they are taking, and any past allergies. It said serious allergic reactions in vaccine recipients can include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, fast heart rate, rash, dizziness, and weakness.
The vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech ran into controversy after the Indian government allowed its use without concrete data showing that it is effective in preventing COVID-19. Tens of thousands of people have received the injection in the past three days after India began vaccinating health workers in what is likely the world’s largest coronavirus vaccination campaign last weekend.
India vaccinated 148,266 people on Monday, bringing the total to 381,305, the health ministry said.
Indian authorities hope to give vaccines to 300 million people. Recipients include 30 million doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers, followed by 270 million people who are over 50 or have an illness that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19.
India approved the use of two emergency vaccines on Jan. 4, one developed by Oxford University and British drug company AstraZeneca, and the other by Bharat Biotech. The regulator took the step without publishing information about the efficacy of the Indian vaccine.
Bharat Biotech still hasn’t published any data on the effectiveness of its vaccine, but said it meets clinical trial guidelines.
The regulator claims the vaccine is safe and approved in the belief that it could be more effective in tackling a new variant of the coronavirus found in the UK. The regulator and the company have said efficacy data will be published after ongoing late clinical trials are completed.
Most hospitals in India vaccinate health workers with the AstraZeneca vaccine. But turnout, especially in those hospitals using the Bharat Biotech vaccine, is relatively low, health officials said.
Hospitals in New Delhi administering the Bharat Biotech vaccine have seen many doctors reluctant to get the injection.
Dr. Vinod K. Paul, a member of NITI Aayog, a government think tank, said concerns about the adverse effects of the vaccine seemed “unfounded and insignificant”.
“If our health workers, especially doctors and nurses, refuse it, it’s a shame,” Paul told reporters. “Health workers must have confidence in our system.”
The vaccination campaign began at a time when coronavirus infections have declined sharply and much of life has returned to normal.
India ranks second to the US in the number of confirmed cases with more than 10.5 million. The country ranks third in the number of reported deaths, after the US and Brazil, with more than 152,000.