With the country kick-starting the war against the pandemic, Telangana, one of the worst corona-hit states in India on the first day of the drive set up 139 centres for inoculation drive.
While over 3.15 lakh healthcare workers in both government and private hospitals have been registered as beneficiaries on the CoWIN app, 4,000 health workers are to get the first dose of the vaccine today.
However, what turned debatable with reports that Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech asking the beneficiaries who take their vaccine to sign a consent form.
In the line of the reports, as the government had permitted Covaxin under the ‘clinical trial mode’, the beneficiaries will have to be monitored for any adverse symptom, like it was done during the trial.
Below is the consent form that the beneficiaries need to sign before getting the vaccine,
“It could be because phase-III trials are in progress. However, consent is not required for there other vaccine Covishield as it has completed phase-III trials,” confirmed an official. Covaxin will mostly be used at smaller centres catering to smaller groups.
The officials, however, claim to brief the beneficiaries about the immunisation and the contents of the consent form before they are given the vaccine and that the vaccine will be given only if the recipients sign the form. Many of the beneficiaries raised concerns over the government not giving the choice over a vaccine which is under the trails.
Here are a few guidelines you need to note,
- The vaccination is only for people over the age of 18 years
- Pregnant and lactating women cannot take the vaccine
- People who show an immediate or delayed onset of an allergic reaction to vaccines or injectable therapies, pharmaceutical products, and food item cannot take the vaccine
