COVID-19 Vaccine Precautions
Pregnant and lactating women have not been a part of any COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial so far and should not receive the COVID-19 vaccine at this time, cautioned the Health Ministry in its note on precautions and contraindications for the vaccines. It added that vaccine-specific contraindications may apply as new information becomes available.
General Guidelines
- The vaccination is only for people over the age of 18 years.
- The vaccines are not interchangeable: the second dose will have to be of the same vaccine that was administered as the first dose.
- The vaccine should be given with “caution” to persons with a history of any bleeding or coagulation disorder — platelet disorder, clotting factor deficiency, or coagulopathy.
- Vaccinators have to store both vaccines at +2°C to +8°C; protect them from light; and discard the vaccine if found to be frozen.
The vaccine cannot be administered to people who belong to any of three categories:
- Persons with a history of an allergic reaction to a previous dose of a Covid-19 vaccine (this would mean those who have taken a dose in a country where vaccination has already started);
- People who show an immediate or delayed onset of an allergic reaction to vaccines or injectable therapies, pharmaceutical products, and food items;
- Pregnant and lactating women. Since they have not been part of any clinical trial so far, women who are “pregnant or not sure of their pregnancy” and “lactating women” should not receive the vaccine at this time.
For certain circumstances under the category of temporary contraindications, vaccination is to be deferred for four-eight weeks after recovery. This covers three categories:
- Persons showing active symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Covid-19 patients who have been given anti-SARS-Cov-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma
- Acutely unwell and hospitalised patients (with or without intensive care) due to any illness.
Two vaccines have been granted emergency use approval in India – Covishield, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and produced by Serum Institute of India, and COVAXIN, developed and produced in India by Bharath Biotech.
You can download the COVID-19 Vaccine Precautions in PDF format using the link given below.
