Are There Any Side Effects of Covishield?

The recent spread of the coronavirus diseases has adversely impacted the lives of individuals across the globe. It has led some people to lose their loved ones during the global pandemic due to either lack of quality treatment or due to high cost of hospitalization. People have become more precautious about their health and various guidelines and lockdowns have been introduced by the governments of different countries. Some of the measures include maintaining social distance, use of masks, hand sanitizers, etc. Various brands of vaccines have also been rolled out for use in different countries. In our country currently there are four different brands of vaccines that are available as a choice among the patients. One of the prominently received shots of vaccine brand is the Covidshield which has been named by the Serum Institute of India.

Following the vaccine dosage, there are several speculations that are being drawn by the unauthorized sources within the country, which must be avoided at all costs. You can get an insight about the working and efficiency of different vaccines on the government authorized websites or you can consult your doctor or medical experts regarding the same. All the vaccines have a set of side effects that is normal and it includes mild fever, fatigue, chills, body pain, etc. These side effects can persist for a maximum of 5 days among the individuals and might not occur for some.

About Covidshield Vaccine

Covidshield vaccine has been brand named by the Serum Institute of India and it is originally called the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as it was developed by the combined efforts of the Oxford university and AstraZeneca. This vaccine shot has a good profile and almost same efficiency rate as that of the other vaccine brands that are available in the market. It shows some mild symptoms that are common for all the other vaccines. It is a recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector that encodes the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein. It builds the immunity of the individuals to provide protection against the coronavirus antibodies after recognizing them. It consists of two doses which must be taken after a certain period of gap specified by the medical experts. For complete protection against the spread of the coronavirus it is essential for the people to take both the shots of the Covidshield vaccine.

Must Read: Covaxin vs Covishield: Difference Between Covaxin & Covishield Vaccines [Detailed Comparison]

Side Effects of Covidshield Vaccine

Following are some of the most occurred and observed side effects of the Covidshield vaccine that are common among the people who have taken the shots of Covidshield:

• Some very common side effects that occur in every 1 out of 10 people include tenderness, pain, warmth, or itching where the injection is given, generally feeling unwell, fatigue, joint pain or muscle ache.
• Some common side effects that may affect more than 1 in 10 people are swelling or redness where the injection is given, fever, being sick (vomiting) or diarrhoea, pain in the limbs, flu-like symptoms, runny nose, cough and chills.
• The uncommon side effects that may affect up to 1 in 100 people include sleepiness or feeling dizzy, abdominal pain, enlarged lymph nodes, excessive sweating, itchy skin, rash or hives.
• There are some not known side effects that cannot be determined from the available data due to the severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), severe swelling of the lips, mouth, throat (which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing).
• Some of the rarest side effects that require immediate medical attention include major blood clotting (venous and/or arterial thrombosis) in combination with low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) have been observed very rarely among 1 in 100,000 vaccinated population.

Conclusion

If any of the above mentioned rare and uncommon side effects are observed in an individual after taking the Covidshield vaccine, then it is important to rush the individual to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

Also Read: Should Pregnant Women Get Covid-19 Vaccine?

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.