Editor's Pick: who shouldn't take the COVAXIN shot?

The Hindu Newsletter - Newsletter - subject [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Tuesday 19, January 2021 [alt_text]( Editor's Pick A warning that could boost vaccine hesitancy [alt_text]( (The Editor's Pick is a new newsletter from The Hindu that provides a snapshot of the most important stories from today's edition of our newspaper, along with a note from our top editors on why we chose to give prominence to these stories.) Bharat Biotech, the maker of Covaxin, [has issued a warning]( that people suffering from certain ailments and conditions should not take the vaccine. This includes those with allergies and compromised immunity. The firm has also warned pregnant and lactating women against taking the vaccine. The statement says that there is a remote chance that the vaccine may cause severe allergic reactions including breathing difficulty, swelling, and rashes. The statement came on the third day of India's vaccination drive, which has seen 3,81,305 persons inoculated across the country so far. A total of[580 adverse reactions]( have been reported, with seven requiring hospitalisation. There is no data available on how many of these patients were administered Covaxin and how many got Covishield. At present, there is no option for the participants in the vaccine drive to choose between Covishield and Covaxin, which is being administered on a trial basis. While Covishield has data from trials that prove its efficacy, Covaxin is still undergoing Phase 3 trials. There has been criticism against its use at this juncture from health experts as well as politicians. Some in the government circles have treated these criticisms as undue attacks on a vaccine of Indian origin. Covaxin was developed by India's BharatBiotech in collaboration with ICMR, while Covishield is based on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from U.K. There has been also counter criticism that doubts being cast on Covaxin could lead to vaccine hesitancy, or reluctance to take the vaccine. There are already indications from some districts that takers for Covaxin are fewer than those for Covishield. The Hindu's editorials [yesterday](and [today]( have pointed to the need to counter this vaccine hesitancy not with 'Made in India' arguments but with transparency and data. However, the warnings from BharatBiotech at this juncture could be a further deterrent, and strengthen the argument against the vaccine being administered without the recipients being offered a choice. This is what makes the story important. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been formally invited to the G-7 Summit in June. Where will the summit be held? 1. Davos, Switzerland 2. Cornwall, England 3. Helinski, Finland 4. Stuttgart, Germany To find out the answer and play the full quiz, [click here]( The Big Story [Covaxin not to be used in cases of allergy, fever, poor immunity]( [alt_text]( From the Front Page [alt_text]( [Tractor rally: only police should decide, says SC]( [alt_text]( [Western T.N. no longer AIADMK citadel, says Stalin]( From the Opinion Pages [alt_text]( [Being tethered to bars during a pandemic]( [alt_text]( [Mining in India equals selling the family gold]( Today's Editorials [On govt. powe](rs to combat vaccine hesitancy [On political]( importance of Navalny You are receiving this email because you are a user of [thehindu.com]( If you do not wish to receive any such emails, [unsubscribe here.](mailto:rm-0bffm4d5bf2f90kaup33rtbysa8hkj5@newsalert.thehindu.com?subject=Unsubscribe&body=You will be unsubscribed from our mailing list.) To ensure you continue to receive emails from The Hindu in your inbox, please add newsletters.th@newsalert.thehindu.com to your contact. If you can't see the mailer, please [click here.]( Group Sites [The Hindu]( | [இந்து தமிழ் திசை]( | [Business Line]( | [BL on Campus]( | [Sportstar]( | [Frontline]( | [The Hindu Centre]( | [Images]( | [roofandfloor]( | [Classifieds]( Copyright @ 2021 ,THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. [About Us]( | [Contact Us]( | [Digital Subscription](