A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court, urging an investigation into potential side effects associated with the COVISHIELD vaccine developed by AstraZeneca, one of the vaccines administered in India to combat COVID-19.

This action follows AstraZeneca’s acknowledgment in a UK court of a rare side effect linked to blood clotting related to COVISHIELD.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari’s plea highlighted AstraZeneca’s admission of a correlation between the vaccine and Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a condition marked by low platelet levels and blood clot formation.

The petitioner has requested the Supreme Court to appoint a panel of medical experts, overseen by a retired apex court judge and including specialists from the All India Institute of Medical Science, to analyze COVISHIELD’s side effects and associated risks. Emphasizing the urgency for the safety and well-being of Indian citizens, the petitioner stressed the imperative for immediate government action.

Tiwari urged the court to establish a Vaccine Damage Payment System to compensate individuals who suffer severe disability or fatality due to a COVID vaccine.

Previously, the Kerala High Court urged prompt action from the Central Government and the National Disaster Management Authority in formulating guidelines for compensating families of individuals who passed away due to adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine.

During a case before the Supreme Court concerning mandatory vaccination and vaccine side effects in November 2022, the Union government informed the court that it could not be held accountable for compensating deaths resulting from adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare responded in this manner to a plea by the parents of two young women who allegedly died due to COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects. The government clarified that vaccines produced by third-party manufacturers had undergone rigorous regulatory assessments and that holding the State directly liable for compensation might not be legally sustainable.

It emphasized the global recognition of the vaccines used in the vaccination program as safe and effective, having undergone comprehensive regulatory scrutiny in India and other countries.