Serum Institute releases advisory on COVID-19 vaccine; things to know before taking Covishield

The Serum Institute of India (SII), as part of its precautionary advice, has cautioned that people severely allergic to any ingredient of its coronavirus vaccine 'Covishield' should not take the shot.

The Pune-based pharma giant, which released a detailed fact sheet on Tuesday, January 19, said in it that one should not get the jab's shot if he/she had a severe allergic reaction following a previous dose of Covishield.

Detailing the ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccine in its fact sheet, the SII listed "L-Histidine, L-Histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, Magnesium chloride hexahydrate, Polysorbate 80, Ethanol, Sucrose, Sodium chloride, Disodium edetate dihydrate (EDTA), Water for injection."

Also Read: COVID-19 vaccination drive: Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla receives Covishield shot

The advisory for the vaccine recipients mentioned on the website of the Serum Institute has been released to help them understand the risks and benefits of the Covishield vaccine.

The vaccine maker also said that the vaccine recipient should also tell the healthcare provider about all the medical conditions before getting the Covishield vaccine including, "if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after any drug, food, any vaccine or any ingredients of Covishield vaccine".

The recipient should also mention to the healthcare provider if he/she has a fever, a bleeding disorder, or is on a blood thinner and also if the recipient is immuno-compromised or is on a medicine that affects one's immune system, it added.

Also Read: India to supply Covishield, Covaxin to other nations as goodwill gesture 

The fact sheet also says that if a woman is pregnant or plans to become pregnant or is breastfeeding, she should tell the healthcare provider before taking the jab.

The vaccine recipient should also mention to the healthcare provider if he/she has "received another COVID-19 vaccine," Serum Institute added in the advisory.According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 3,81,305 beneficiaries had been vaccinated for COVID-19 in the country till 5 pm on Monday, and 580 adverse events following the immunisation were reported.

Also Read: Oxford COVID-19 vaccine 95% effective if given 3 months apart, says SII's Adar Poonawalla

(With inputs from PTI)