BENGALURU : After The New Indian Express published a report on how Covaxin consent forms were available only in English, Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, confirmed that the government is working with Bharat Biotech to get the forms translated to Kannada.
The process has already begun and the Kannada forms will be sent to districts where Covaxin is being administered.
The Express story was titled 'Covaxin consent forms not given, say recipients' talked about how a few beneficiaries said that they did not receive the consent form and were unaware of it, others who did receive it, got it only in English and a few others were not aware which vaccine they were given.
However, the government denied this. In response to the story, the Health department sent a rebuttal claiming that only after obtaining written consent, the beneficiary is inoculated.
The rebuttal further stated that they inform the beneficiary which vaccine they are being given - Covaxin or Covishield - and the date of their second dose.
They also said that though the forms are in English, health workers were explained the form before they signed it.
The department also claimed that the news is misleading and sends the wrong message to health workers.