Bengaluru: As India has begun the world’s biggest vaccination drive and has also, as vaccine pharmacy of the world, exported its vaccine to many countries like Bhutan and Nepal, there are many who question its efficacy. 

Now, as reports suggest, British Medical Journal Lancet has jumped to the defence of India, asserting that Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, is safe and generated immune response in the participants of the vaccine's phase-1 trials.

It further added that the vaccine generated tolerable safety outcomes and enhanced immune responses.

And as regards the adverse impacts, it added that they were mild and moderate and were more frequent after the first dose.

"The most common solicited adverse events were injection site pain , headache , fatigue, fever, and nausea or vomiting," the journal said.

"All solicited adverse events were mild (43 [69%] of 62) or moderate (19 [31%]) and were more frequent after the first dose. One serious adverse event of viral pneumonitis was reported in the 6 μg with Algel group, unrelated to the vaccine," it said.

It should be noted that Bharat Biotech developed the Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the vaccine is currently being used in India's Covid-19 immunisation drive after getting DCGI nod for emergency use.