Sanjay Jha calls Congress campaign against Covaxin "ridiculous"; asks to trust scientists

As Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders continue to raise concern over the safety of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine, sacked Congress leader Sanjay Jha on Sunday said that he finds the campaign against Bharat Biotech "quite ridiculous". While stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is not crazy to endanger the lives of its own people through rash experiments, Sanjay Jha Taking to Twitter wrote, "can we please trust our bureaucracy, doctors, scientists, R&D, more please if not out politicians?" 

READ | India's Vaccine Covaxin By Bharat Biotech Draws Global Attention; Interests Lancet: ICMR

DCGI addresses questions on COVID vaccines' efficacy

Even as Congress and Samajwadi Party have raised questions on the efficacy of COVID vaccines, at a time when the third phase trial result of Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' is not out, while SP thinks Covishield is 'BJP's vaccine', Dr VG Somani, Drug Controller General of India, has addressed those questions.

Somani said that they will never approve anything if there is the slightest safety concern, while also asserting that the vaccines are 110% safe. However, he added a cautionary note that side effects like mild fever, pain & allergy are common for every vaccine. On Samajwadi Party leader claiming vaccine will make people impotent, the DGCI said that his statements are "absolute rubbish".

READ | India Approves SII's Covishield & Bharat Biotech's Covaxin COVID Vaccines: DCGI Statement

India approves SII's Covishield & Bharat Biotech's Covaxin

Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr VG Somani on Sunday announced that the vaccines of Serum Institue of India (Covishield) and Bharat Biotech (Covaxin) have been granted permission for restricted use in an emergency situation. Dr VG Somani also informed that permission to conduct phase III trials have been granted to Cadila Healthcare vaccine against Coronavirus. 

READ | Covaxin Can Work Against Mutated Coronavirus: Bharat Biotech

The massive development comes a day after the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) made recommendations to the Drugs Controller General of India to grant permission for restricted emergency use of the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech's vaccines. As per an official release, the SEC met on Friday and Saturday and made its recommendations in respect of the accelerated approval process request of the SII, Bharat Biotech International Ltd as well as about phase-III trials of Cadila Healthcare Ltd.

READ | Envoys Of 80 Countries To Visit Bharat Biotech To Assess Progress Of COVID-19 Vaccine