The Serum Institute of India on Sunday rejected the allegation made by a 40-year-old man who took part in the ‘Covishield’ vaccine trial in Chennai about the serious side effects of the prticpant vaccine. The SII has called the claim as ‘malicious and misconceived’.
The man from Tamil Nadu has alleged that the candidate vaccine was not safe, he claimed that he suufered from serious side effects including a virtual neurological breakdown and impairment of cognitive functions.
In a legal notice to Serum Institute of India (SII) and others he has sought a compensation of Rs 5 crores. He also sought cancelling approval for its testing, ‘manufacture and distribution’, failing which legal action would be taken.
The legal notice has been sent to Pune based Serum Institute of India, which has collaborated with Oxford University and Astra Zeneca, a pharmaceutical company, in connection with the making of the vaccine, ‘Covishield’. The man from Tamil Nadu has sought a compensation of Rs 5 crores.
However, the SII in a statement said, “The allegations in the notice are malicious and misconceived. While the Serum Institute of India is sympathetic with the volunteer’s medical condition, there is absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and the medical condition of the volunteer. The volunteer is falsely laying the blame for his medial problems on the COVID vaccine trial.”
“The claim is malicious because the volunteer was specifically informed by the medical team that the complications he suffered were independent of the vaccine trial he underwent. In spite of specifically being made aware of the same, he still chose to go public and malign the reputation of the company. It is evident that the intention behind the spreading of such malicious information is an oblique pecuniary motive. The Serum Institute of India will seek damages in excess of 100 crores for the same and will defend such malicious claims,” the statement read.