Few doctors from Bengaluru are worried for receiving Covaxin vaccine and have demanded that the government should give them the option to take Covishield vaccine. Covishield is distributed in 237 centres across districts and Covaxin is given only in six centres in six districts. The doctors who are working in the six medical colleges, have no option but to take Covaxin shots. They have already approached their respective district healthcare centres, communicating their fears and mentioning safety concerns.

Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Shivamogga, and Davangere are the six districts where in the Covaxin vaccine is given in the government medical colleges, namely Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) and Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS).

Covaxin is approved by the Drug Controller General of India, however, few experts have concerns regarding the third phase trials which are still in progress. From Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, a senior resident doctor said that on what basis did the government have decided to give Covaxin in six government medical colleges only? They don’t trust the effectiveness of the vaccine and don’t want to get it. The government should give them an option.

The doctors are tooanxious for signing the consent form for Covaxin vaccine. They said that in the consent form, it was stated that phase one and two of clinical trials had verified results but phase 3 trials are ongoing and the clinical effectiveness is yet to be verified. Therefore, the doctors do not want to receive the vaccine shots.

A senior doctor also said that they were on Covid duty all these months and are not getting the vaccine they want. This is injustice. The Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors has already written to Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar requesting him to give them an option of vaccination. They are going to submit the letter on Tuesday. Minister Sudhakar said that both Covishield and Covaxinare cleared by the DCGI and both are reliable. The healthcare workers can receive Covaxin without any worries.

Source: The New Indian Express