BENGALURU: With the Covid vaccine all set to roll out on January 16, many doctors are warning that it is vital that the venues selected for the vaccination drive be prepared to handle rare, but potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. According to them, though vaccine manufacturers have claimed that Covishield will have mild reactions, people taking the shot should administer certain pre- and post-vaccination precautions.
“The side-effects reported by the trial population are mostly mild Covid symptoms, like fever and fatigue. There have also been complaints of local injection pain and reports of induration (hardening of soft tissues). Reports of transverse myelitis and facial palsy have not been found to be related to the vaccine,” said a senior doctor from the Covid Advisory Committee, advising that it is better for people to watch out for any reaction and report immediately.
Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar explained that vaccination centres are equipped with observation rooms where it is mandatory for all beneficiaries to wait for at least 20-30 minutes after the vaccine. Senior doctors also said that since egg cell lines are not used in the production of Covishield vaccines, they can be taken even by those who are allergic to eggs.
Experts caution that excessive use of alcohol can release the immune responses to vaccines. “In Russia, the government has advised avoiding alcohol two weeks prior to getting the first dose and six weeks after the second dose,” said a senior researcher.A leading Russian scientist said that consuming alcohol after a Covid vaccine can potentially render the vaccine ineffective.
“We strongly recommend refraining from alcohol for three days after each injection,” added Alexander Gintsburg, head of the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, which is developing the Sputnik vaccine.
IMA URGES DOCTORS TO GET VACCINE FIRST
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged its 3.5 lakh members from 1,800 local branches to get vaccinated first to show to the world that Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective. In a statement, Indian Medical Association national president Dr J A Jayalal said that the association has decided to actively take part in the vaccination programme after extensive review of scientific data, indexed articles, expert panel reports and consultation with experts. It has also asked its district officials to extend help in the planning and implementation of the vaccination programme. The association headquarters in New Delhi has constituted a pharmacovigilance centre for monitoring post-vaccination reactions and render appropriate support.