A recent study conducted by researchers at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has revealed that nearly one-third of individuals who received Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine experienced adverse events of special interest (AESI) one year after vaccination. The study, which followed 926 participants from January 2022 to August 2023, was published in the journal Springer Nature.

According to the study, approximately 50% of participants reported infections during the follow-up period, with viral upper respiratory tract infections being the most common. Serious AESI, such as stroke and Guillain-Barre syndrome, were reported in one percent of the participants.

The research involved 635 adolescents and 291 adults who received the BBV152 vaccine. Participants were interviewed telephonically about long-term AESI one year post-vaccination. Among adolescents, new-onset skin and subcutaneous disorders (10.5%), general disorders (10.2%), and nervous system disorders (4.7%) were the most common. In adults, general disorders (8.9%), musculoskeletal disorders (5.8%), and nervous system disorders (5.5%) were prevalent.

Particular categories with increased chances of chronic AESI were noted in the study. Participants who were female, teenagers with COVID-19 prior to vaccination, people with co-morbidities, and those who contracted typhoid after immunization had, in that order, probabilities of developing persistent AESI that were 1.6, 2, 2.7, and 3.2 times greater, respectively. The risks of AESI and persistent AESI were more than twice as high for those with pre-existing medical problems.

The research also found a correlation between the number of vaccine doses and the risk of AESI. Adults who received three doses of BBV152 had a four-fold higher risk of AESI compared to those who received two doses, while those who received only one dose had double the risk.

The study reported four deaths among adult participants, all of whom had diabetes, and three had hypertension. Two of these deaths were attributed to stroke, while one was due to post-COVID-19 rhinocerebral mucormycosis, which reportedly disseminated after vaccination. The fourth death involved a woman with multiple episodes of unconsciousness post-vaccination, the cause of which remained unidentified.

(Input from various media sources)

(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)