AstraZeneca reaffirms vaccine safety amidst rare side effect concerns

by Utkalika Mohanty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

In light of recent concerns surrounding potential rare side effects of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, the pharmaceutical giant has reiterated its commitment to patient safety while emphasising the vaccine's overall safety profile.

Cambridge, May 1: In light of recent concerns surrounding potential rare side effects of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, the pharmaceutical giant has reiterated its commitment to patient safety while emphasising the vaccine's overall safety profile.

An AstraZeneca spokesperson stated, "Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems. Patient safety is our highest priority, and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines."

This comes in the wake of a recent admission by AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical company, that its Covid vaccine Covishield and Vaxzevria "can, in very rare cases, cause Thrombosis Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)."

Despite these rare occurrences, the pharmaceutical company maintains that extensive clinical trial data and real-world evidence consistently support the vaccine's safety and efficacy. Regulatory agencies worldwide continue to assert that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of such extremely rare side effects.

According to several UK media reports, AstraZeneca has made the admission in court documents in connection with a case that alleges that the vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases.

The Serum Institute of India produced COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield but not using mRNA platform. It has been prepared using the viral vector platform. In the vaccine, a chimpanzee adenovirus - ChAdOx1 - has been modified to enable it to carry the COVID-19 spike protein into the cells of humans. This cold virus is basically incapable of infecting the receiver, but can very well teach the immune system to prepare a mechanism against such viruses.

The same technology was used to prepare vaccines for viruses like Ebola.

Notably in 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in its report that TTS emerged as a new adverse event following immunisation in individuals vaccinated with COVID-19 non-replicant adenovirus vector-based vaccines.

This refers to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 ChAdOx-1 vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Janssen COVID-19 Ad26.COV2-S vaccines.

"TTS is a serious and life-threatening adverse event. WHO has issued this interim emergency guidance to increase awareness about TTS in the context of COVID-19 vaccination and help healthcare providers in the assessment and management of potential TTS cases," the 2023 statement by WHO read.

However, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in March 2024 at 'ANI Dialogues - Navigating India's health sector' said that ICMR has done a detailed study which shows that COVID-19 vaccine is not responsible for heart attacks, and an individual's lifestyle and factors such as binge drinking could be among underlying causes.

Mandaviya said, "If someone has a stroke today, they think it is because of the Covid vaccine. ICMR has done a detailed study that the (Covid) vaccine is not responsible for heart attacks."

(ANI)

"Study The Candidates Before You Vote," Says Hrithik Roshan After Casting His Vote

by Hemanta Pande

Mumbai, May 20: Actor Hrithik Roshan not only cast his vote on Monday during the fifth part of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections but also urged everyone to become a well-informed voter.

After casting his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai, the 'Fighter' star briefly spoke with the media and sent out an important message, highlighting how important it is for everyone to do proper research about the candidates before exercising their voting rights.

"Study the candidates before you vote, know what you are voting for," he said.

Go vote.
Make sure you have studied the candidates first.
Know who you are voting for. pic.twitter.com/h8EyWTOvPy — Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) May 20, 2024

Hrithik arrived at the polling booth with his father and director Rakesh Roshan, mother Pinkie Roshan and his sister Sunaina.
He also took to Instagram and shared a fam-jam picture from the polling booth. In the image, the Roshans could be seen flaunting their inked fingers.

The voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha polls on Monday started at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm, with those in line by the closing time still allowed to vote. As per the ECI, over 8.95 crore voters, including 4.69 crore males, 4.26 crore females, and 5409 third-gender electors, will decide the fate of 695 candidates in the fifth phase of voting.

The fifth phase witnesses key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Karan Bhushan Singh, LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan, JKNC chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya are looking for electoral success. Eight states/UTs going for polls in phase 5 are Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Of the 49 Lok Sabha seats, 14 are from Uttar Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, 7 from West Bengal, 5 from Bihar, 3 from Jharkhand, 5 from Odisha, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

In a bid to create a peaceful atmosphere for the electors, a total of 2,000 flying squads, 2105 static surveillance teams, 881 video surveillance teams, and 502 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock across the 94,732 polling stations. (ANI)

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"BJD gave land, sand, coal, mining mafia to Odisha": PM Modi

by Utkalika Mohanty

Cuttack, May 20: Coming down heavily on the Biju Janata Dal-led government in Odisha over corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the state government has given only land mafia, sand mafia, coal mafia and mining mafia to the state.

While addressing a rally in Cuttack, PM Modi claimed that the people of Odisha will create a new history by electing the BJP's first Chief Minister in the state.

"The media have started saying that there will be a hung assembly, but that's not true; the BJP will form the government in Odisha.

If there is something that BJD has given to Odisha, it has given land mafia, sand mafia, coal mafia and mining mafia," he said.

"Women have come here in such large numbers. First-time voters seem full of enthusiasm. Your enthusiasm and zeal show that, after 25 years, Odisha is going to create a new history. On June 10, the BJP's first CM in Odisha will take an oath, it is certain.

With your blessings, the Modi government will take the oath for the third time in Delhi," PM Modi added.

Hitting out at the BJD government in the state, the Prime Minister said, "The BJD government is not concerned about the problems of the people of Cuttack. Cuttack is surrounded by rivers on all sides, but there is a problem of drinking water here. Modi wants to provide water through taps, but they create obstacles."

"These elections will punish the BJD for its misdeeds. The way the BJD government misrules and loots the people of Odisha has been completely exposed. Hardly there will be any block in Odisha from where people have not gone to Gujarat to get a job. The state is so prosperous, this election is to punish all those who have destroyed the state," he added.

He further said that the deteriorating conditions of a capable state like Odisha are very unfortunate.

"The deteriorating conditions of an otherwise capable state like Odisha are very unfortunate. BJD has pushed Odisha into a very saddening situation," PM Modi said.

PM Modi also promised to break the back of the mafia if they are voted to power and said, "Our youth are suffering a huge loss due to BJD's corruption; the youth have to migrate from here. The BJD government has not been able to create a proper environment for investment here. There is a mafia which has occupied every sector and that mafia does not allow any competition to come here. Let our government come on June 10, the BJP government is going to break the back of this mafia."

(ANI)

1 Dies, Another Injured In Koraput Road Mishap

by Argus News

Koraput May 20: In a tragic mishap, one person died and other was critically injured after an Eicher vehicle hit the tree at Pukali street under Koraput district today.

According to sources, the vehicle was on the way from Andhra Pradesh to Odisha, loaded fully with coconuts.The incident took place on National Highway 26, where the vehicle rammed into a roadside tree.While a traveller died on the spot, another was critically injured in the incident.Police alongwith locals rescued the injured person and rushed them to the District Headquater Hospital.