Refuting the reports of multiple side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday reiterated that rarely, few people who get vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines may experience severe adverse events depending upon certain predisposing conditions.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a recent media report has claimed that ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) have admitted to ‘multiple side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines’ in response to an RTI query. The report stated that ICMR and CDSCO officials have cited a plethora of ramifications arising out of all the COVID vaccines. “It is clarified that the news report is ill-informed and provides erroneous information,” said the Union Health Ministry statement.

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In line with the policy of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of proactive disclosure aligned with global scientific evidence in the public domain, ICMR provided responses to questions of RTI related to the advantages and disadvantages of COVID-19 vaccines. The ICMR response simply provided links of reputed websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India where compiled global evidence on various COVID-19 vaccines is available, said the statement.

As is the case with all other vaccines, the Health Ministry said those who get vaccinated with different COVID-19 vaccines may experience mild symptoms like injection site tenderness, pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, chills, arthralgia etc. Rarely, few individuals may experience severe adverse events depending upon certain predisposing conditions, the statement said.

The Union Health Ministry said global research studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccination has helped in reducing the severity of disease by preventing hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 and the benefits of the vaccines overwhelmingly outweigh any adverse effects. In India, NTAGI (National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) has periodically reviewed the benefits and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines used in India and has endorsed the above findings.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 220.17 crore total COVID-19 vaccine doses, including 95.14 crore second doses and 22.46 crore precaution doses, have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.