New Delhi: Despite the government’s repeated assurance and efforts to allay apprehensions, resident doctors at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RMLH) on Saturday demanded they be administered Covishield vaccine and not Covaxin since the former has completed all three stages of trials as required under protocol, News18reported.
The second one, produced by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, is still only undergoing stage-III trials.
The resident doctors of RMLH said they might not participate in huge numbers if Covaxin is used.
“Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech is being preferred over Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute in our hospital…We would like to bring to your notice that the residents are a bit apprehensive about the lack of complete trial in the case of Covaxin and might not participate in huge numbers thus defeating the purpose of the vaccination,” the Resident Doctors Association of the hospital said in a letter to the medical superintendent of the facility, the report added.
“We request you to vaccinate us with Covishield which has completed all stages of the trial before its rollout,” the letter said.
Dr Nirmalaya Mohapatra, vice-president of the hospital’s Resident Doctors Association was quoted as saying that a lot of doctors have not given their names for the countrywide drive launched today.
“We are apprehensive regarding Covaxin. Trials are yet to be completed. We will prefer Covishield over Covaxin,” Dr Mohapatra told NDTV.
Referring to the doctor’s demand, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “We can’t generalise issues like that. People should not believe in rumours. A lot of work has gone into making these vaccines.”
He said there is no question of choosing between the two vaccines.
NITI Ayog member Dr VK Paul, also said that rumours ought to be ignored. Covaxin was safe, he was quoted as saying and declared that both him and Dr Randeep Guleria, the director of AIIMS, had received its doses.
“They are a part of the medical community and have served people for so long. They need to believe in the system,” he was quoted as saying.
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