Vaccine manufacturers Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India have approached the drug regulator to allow the use of their vaccines - Covaxin and Covishield respectively - for people using blood thinners, ICMR chief Balram Bhargava said.
He added that there is no contraindication in giving the vaccines to these people, reported PTI.
The fact sheets for both candidates mentions the contradiction, and the companies want to change this point. This is expected to happen very soon, he said.
Bhargava explained that there are two types of blood thinners: Antiplatelets such as aspirin and clopidogrel, which is not of concern at all.
“The second category is anticoagulants like heparan, and these patients have a tendency to bleed much higher. The only worry is, there can be local hematoma or swelling can occur where the injection site is. Therefore, it is a very relative contraindication. The anticoagulants can be stopped for one or two days before giving the vaccine.”Balram Bhargava
"But as for blood thinners like aspirin and clopidogrel, there is no contraindication and that will be corrected in the fact sheet as soon as the drugs controller will give permission for the same," Bhargava added.
Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, a cardiologist and epidemiologist, is President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Writing for FIT, he said, ‘blood thinner’ is a lay person’s term and should not have been used in the product information sheet, without specifying what kinds of drugs constitute contraindications to vaccination. It is a misleading term because the drugs usually grouped under this term do not dilute the blood like severe anaemia does.”
“Persons with any of the above medical conditions, for which anti-platelet or anti-coagulant drugs are prescribed, are at a high risk of severe disease or even death if they are infected with the Covid-19 virus. They are among the people who will most need the protection of the vaccine. Why then are they listed as persons who should not receive the vaccine? Do these instructions apply to both anti-platelet drugs and anti-coagulants.”Prof. K. Srinath Reddy
“There is no rationale for flat denial of the vaccine to those who need it most because of their medical conditions. Unless suitable clarifications are issued by the authorities, vaccinators may turn away persons who are on these drugs. It will be a disservice if many millions who are on aspirin because of cardiovascular risk are denied a potentially life saving vaccine. Can these instructions now flow through the fine needle of rational guidelines rather than the blunt rejection of all persons who are on ‘blood thinners’?”, he said.
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