Serum Institute files Rs 100 crore defamation suit against man claiming neuro damage after vaccine trial
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has filed a Rs 100-crore defamation suit against a Chennai-based volunteer who took part in the coronavirus vaccine 'Covishield' trial and later claimed to suffer from neurological and psychological issues as a result of taking the dose.
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has filed a Rs 100-crore defamation suit against a Chennai-based volunteer who took part in the coronavirus vaccine 'Covishield' trial and later claimed to suffer from neurological and psychological issues as a result of taking the dose.
The 40-year-old Covishield vaccine trial participant has sought Rs 5 crore as compensation from SII, citing side effects of virtual neurological breakdown and impairment of cognitive functions after taking the dose of the Covid shot.
'Covishield', the coronavirus vaccine, is being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca in collaboration with the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII).
Refuting the trial participant's claims, Serum Institute of India said it would seek damages of Rs 100 crore damages for "malicious and misconceived allegations".
Serum Institute of India also said that while it sympathises with the volunteer's medical condition, there is "absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and his medical condition".
"The allegations in the notice are malicious and misconceived. While the Serum Institute of India is sympathetic to 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 medical problems on the Covid vaccine trial," Serum Institute of India said in a statement.
A criminal case has also been filed against the volunteer and he is likely to receive the notice by Monday.
A senior official at SII Pune told India Today TV that the allegations are "baseless" and said the volunteer is trying to "extort money from the world-renowned company".
"The drug controller office and health ministry office do not have any problem with the Serum vaccine as they know that the claims made by Chennai-based volunteer is not a genuine case. The principal investigator at the clinical site has already cleared this long time ago. In fact, this 40-year-old volunteer has recovered fully. These allegations are post-meditated. The volunteer is trying to extort something from the world-renowned company. The allegations are all garbage," a senior official at SII Pune told India Today TV.
Meanwhile, a senior ICMR official said that a preliminary assessment has not indicated any causal link between the alleged adverse events shown by the volunteer and the 'Covishield' vaccine.
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