Over 50% of adverse reactions after jabs were due to anxiety: Report
According to the report of the National Adverse Events Following Immunisation Committee, 36 of the 60 adverse reactions studied were related to anxiety, 18 were vaccine product-related, and one was classified as both vaccine product-related and an...
The causality assessment report was completed on May 27 after thorough review, deliberation and approval by the National AEFI Committee.
A study of 60 serious adverse effects experienced by people in India after the Covid-19 jab shows that more than half of them were triggered by anxiety, a government panel said in its report.
According to the report of the National Adverse Events Following Immunisation Committee, 36 of the 60 adverse reactions studied were related to anxiety, 18 were vaccine product-related, and one was classified as both vaccine product-related and anxiety-related. Five cases were found to have inconsistent causal association to vaccination (coincidental — not linked to vaccination), of which one person died, the report said.
Most anxiety-related cases after Covid-19 vaccination were found in women. “The fear of needles is resulting in anxiety and hesitancy as well. We have to see how to overcome needle phobia. This has been reported more in women,” a senior official said.
The experts, however, found that the benefits of vaccination are overwhelmingly greater than the small risk of harm. “As a measure of utmost precaution, all emerging signals of harm are being constantly tracked and reviewed periodically,” the report said.
The causality assessment report was completed on May 27 after thorough review, deliberation and approval by the National AEFI Committee.
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According to the assessment of the 60 serious adverse events, three were reported after a Covaxin jab, while the rest were registered after administration of Covishield. The national panel had submitted its report to the health ministry on July 8. The death was categorised as “a coincidental event”, indicating that while it happened following the inoculation, it could have had other causes.
The health ministry has taken several steps to include medical specialists, cardiologists, neurologists, pulmonary medicine specialists, obstetrician-gynaecologist as members of the causality assessment sub-committee at the national level. A special group has been formed to conduct causality assessment of AEFIs following Covid-19 vaccination.
