Row Over Covishield: Side-Effect TTS is ‘Rare Complication’ After Any Vaccine, Clarify Cardiologists

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The city cardiologists have allayed the fear arising from admission of AstraZeneca that its Covid vaccine Covishield 'can, in very rare cases, cause TTS- Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome - a blood clot related side effect. 

TTS is a ‘rare complication’ after administration of any vaccine and the heart attack or death is due to metabolism disorder after the Coronavirus attack, said the city cardiologists addressing the concerns. TTS causes people to have blood clots and a low blood platelet count. About 51 cases have been lodged in the UK High Court against the pharmaceutical giant over claims that its Covid vaccine caused death and serious injury.

It is a misconception that after Covid vaccine, the cases of heart attack increased. The better the immunity, the lesser the virus in the body, they added. Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart) are rare but serious conditions, usually triggered by a viral infection and cannot be linked to Covid vaccine, said the doctors.

Baseless Misconception

 “This notion is totally baseless. Nearly 250 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered across the country. Heart attacks are not caused because of any side-effects of the vaccine. There is no relation between deaths due to cardiac arrest and the Coronavirus vaccine. It is a misconception that heart attack cases increase following administration of the vaccine.” -Dr PC Manoria

Metabolism Disorder Leads to Complications

“It is a metabolism disorder of the body which is responsible for death after Coronavirus attack. And so it is neither the vaccine nor Covid-19 attack, it is metabolism disorder which leads to death or cardiac arrest. Metabolism is closely linked to the body's immune response. Better immunity, less virus attack on the body.” Dr Subroto Mandal

The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, sold as Covishield in India and Vaxzevria in Europe is a viral vector vaccine developed using the modified chimpanzee adenovirus ChAdOx1. In India, almost 90 per cent of people who received Covid vaccine, received the AstraZeneca vaccine which in India is called Covishield.