Mumbai: Covaxin and Covishield were the two vaccines administered in India to control and fight COVID-19 in the country. There were many questions asked about the effectiveness of the vaccines and their effect on the body in the long run.
Recently, AstraZeneca, the pharma company that developed Covishield admitted that their vaccine may lead to a condition termed TTS (Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome) in rare cases. The company submitted a legal document to the UK court stating that the rare side effect of Covishield, associating with blood clotting, and reduced platelet count.
Should people who took Covishield shots worry? Are they at a higher health risk? With these questions in mind, we spoke to health experts. Both pulmonologists and cardiologists pointed out that people need not live in fear of potential health problems solely on the basis of vaccines administered to them.
"Benefits outweigh side effects"
Dr Kinjal Modi, Consultant Pulmonologist, PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Khar, Mumbai, pointed out that no medicine, including vaccine, is without side effects. "Though they vary from individual to individual, the benefits generally outweigh the side effects," he said.
Throwing light on the vaccination against coronavirus, the doctor shared an observation from his practice. He said, "There was a lack of huge public data, obviously due to a lack of time to fight against the deadly disease, but there was a general observation among many colleagues that there are slightly high vascular complications in vaccinated individuals during the pandemic." However, Modi termed it a "billion dollar question" to understand if that effect was due to the disease the patient suffered or the vaccine, or a combination of something else.
Months after the vaccination process, people argued if the doses had any connection to the rise in cases of heart attacks, as several videos and reports of people with no underlying disease died due to a heart attack or related issues. A research published at the National Library of Medicine suggested that COVID-19 was associated with an increased risk of heart problems.
"Additional risk factor"
"Incidents of cardiac arrests in younger patients have definitely been on the rise after COVID-19. We are even seeing people in their late 20s facing coronary events, but it is unsure if the factor leading is the vaccine or lifestyle," said Dr Ameya Tirodkar, Interventional Cardiologist at the SRV hospitals in Mumbai. He further agreed that all medicines and therapeutics come with side effects and said that the same goes with Covishield.
"One must take it as an additional risk factor (like people with strong family histories, smokers, etc.) and be extra cautious with their health," he said.
"It is not necessary that every person who has taken this vaccine should visit a doctor. A regular test can be taken up at an early age, and a more comprehensive cardiac checkup somewhere in the 30s should be the norm. Importantly, it should extend beyond the organised or corporate sector and reach a wider population," he adds.
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