Owaisi takes first dose of Covishield at Hyderabad hospital
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine at a Hyderabad hospital. Owaisi was inoculated with Covishield, the Indian version of the AstraZeneca-Oxford drug being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, Pune. Owaisi, 51, urged eligible people to get vaccinated at the earliest.
"Alhamdulilah took the first dose of vaccine today. Vaccination not only helps protect oneself from COVIDー19 but also reduces risk for all. I urge everyone eligible to schedule an appointment at the earliest & get themselves vaccinated. May Allah protect us from the pandemic," he tweeted.
Owaisi, Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, had recently questioned the efficacy of Covishield while referring to some European media reports that the drug is causing blood clots in people above 65. He suggested that the vaccine doesn't work on people who are beyond 65.
Covishield is one of the two drugs that has been approved by the DGCI for emergency use in the country. Covaxin is the second vaccine that has been granted emergency use nod by the DGCI. Covaxin is a fully indigenous vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.
People above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with comorbidities are getting inoculated in this phase of Covid-19 vaccination that commenced on March 1.
READ MORE: Govt revises dose interval for Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine upto 8 weeks
READ MORE: 'Coincidence that PM Modi received Covaxin': Owaisi raises questions over Covishield's efficacy
