Although severe reactions to vaccines are rare, the likelihood of an adverse event after being vaccinated for Covid-19 cannot be ignored out.
Under recommended conditions, all vaccines used in national immunization programmes are safe and effective if used correctly. In practice, however, no vaccine is completely risk-free and adverse events can occasionally result after an immunization.
Adverse events following immunisation is a critical issue. India will be confronting its single biggest public health challenge as it prepares to launch its largest-ever mass immunization drive.
Immunisation in India has been done for decades, and every now and then, some adverse effects are seen in children and pregnant women after vaccination.
In countries where inoculation for Covid has already started, especially in the UK, adverse events took place on the very first day.
The four volunteers who were administered the vaccine in the United Kingdom developed by Pfizer-BioNTech reported some side effects.
What is Adverse event following immunization (AEFI)?
An Adverse event following immunization (AEFI) is any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunization and which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine.
The adverse event may be any unfavourable or unintended sign, abnormal laboratory finding, symptom or disease.
Vaccine reactions
A vaccine reaction is an individual’s response to the inherent properties of the vaccine, even when the vaccine has been prepared, handled and administered correctly.
Vaccine reactions can be classified into two groups:
- Minor reactions- Usually occur within a few hours of injection. Resolve after a short period of time and pose little danger. It includes fever, malaise, muscle pain, headache or loss of appetite.
- Severe reactions- Includes seizures and allergic reactions caused by the body’s reaction to a particular component in a vaccine.
India Will Have One AEFI Management Centre In Each Block For Vaccination Drive
Rajesh Bhushan, secretary in the health ministry said that adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) are critical aspect and states have been asked to identify at least one adverse event following immunisation (AEFI)management centre in each block.
“We can’t deny the possibility of an adverse event when the Covid-19 vaccination begins. I So, it is essential that states and union territories prepare for this too,” Bhushan said.
As the vaccination drive will involve a large beneficiary pool in a short period of time, the government stressed adverse event monitoring in cases of Covid-19 vaccine would also require extra efforts.
Dr V K Paul, NITI Aayog member and head of the national expert group on vaccines administration, said, “ensuring that the jabs approved are safe, aligned to global standards and are effective is a challenging task, as these Covid vaccines have been developed on new platforms, even on multiple platforms.”
Detailed instructions on infection prevention and control practices during vaccination and management of minor, severe, serious AEFI have been issued to states by the Centre.
“States have been asked to identify at least one AEFI management centre in each block. PHCs, CHCs, district hospitals, private health facilities or any other fixed health facility with medical officers and para-medical staff can be identified as AEFI management centres,” Bhushan said.
The states are also instructed to initiate training and sensitization meetings in healthcare workers in public and health facilities for immediate reporting of serious and severe AEFI.
Further, every session site has to be linked to a designated AEFI management centre and AEFI can also be reported through Co-WIN, –a digitalised platform, which will be used to track enlisted beneficiaries for the vaccination and anti-coronavirus vaccines on a real-time basis, Bhushan added.