Covaxin: No consent means no inoculation

BENGALURU: Covaxin, the first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, will be administered at six of the 243 Covid-19 vaccination centres across the state when the nationwide drive to inoculate healthcare workers is launched on Saturday.
The government has insisted beneficiaries receiving Covaxin must submit consent. This is mandatory. However, beneficiaries will not have the right to choose between the two vaccines, officials said.This means a health worker who doesn’t provide consent for Covaxin will miss out on being vaccinated.
Covaxin will be administered at one centre each in Ballari, Chamarajanagar, Davanagere, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts. Of the total 24,300 healthcare workers to be vaccinated on Saturday, 600 will be administered Covaxin.
“In future, all centres will administer both Covaxin and Covishield,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, commissioner, health and family welfare department. “If a beneficiary refuses to take Covaxin, as of now, there is no option to offer another vaccine.”
Asked on what basis the six centres were chosen, Pandey said the state has received only 20,000 doses of Covaxin and allocation was based on the number of healthcare workers.
Not giving beneficiaries the right to choose is unacceptable, especially since Phase 3 clinical trials for Covaxin have not been completed, said Dr Madhusudhan Kariganuru, former president, IMAKarnataka. “Beneficiaries who refuse Covaxin must not be differentiated by the government if she later contracts Covid-19,” said Dr Kariganuru. “A healthcare worker who chooses not to be vaccinated must continue to be eligible for free Covid-19 treatment in government hospitals.”
K Sudhakar, health minister, said, “As per government of India guidelines, all vaccines are safe. But vaccination is not compulsory.”
Resentment though is brewing over the lack of choice. The six centres where Covaxin will be administered are either state-run medical colleges or district hospitals. In Chamarajanagar for instance, the district hospital has been allotted Covishield, while Chamarajanagar medical college has been allotted Covaxin.
“The college has raised concerns saying the efficacy of Covaxin is yet to be proven. But we have to go by government guidelines,” said Dr MR Ravi, Chamarajanagar DHO.
Dr GN Sanjeev, dean, Chamarajnagar medical college, said some professors voiced concerns and spoke to the DHO. “Some of them were apprehensive,” he said.
In Ballari, Vijaynagar Medical College has been allocated Covaxin. Medicos said they were unaware that they will be administered Covaxin. “We attended a workshop on Friday, but we weren’t told the vaccine’s name,” they said.