Serum Institute of India has rejected all charges levelled by AstraZeneca-Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine trial participant that he has some serious side-effects including a neural breakdown and files a defamation suit seeking Rs 100 crore damage against the man.
A 40-year Chennai based business consultant, who volunteered at the third phase of the Covid vaccine trial by Serum Institute of India has alleged that he has encountered some serious side-effects including a virtual neurological breakdown and cognitive functions impairment. The candidate had sent a legal notice to the SII and others seeking a halt to the vaccine trial and Rs 5 crore compensation.
“The allegations in the notice are malicious and misconceived. While the Serum Institute of India is sympathetic with the volunteer’s medical condition, there is absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and the medical condition of the volunteer,” SII issued a statement.
The Serum Institute further added, “The claim is malicious because the volunteer was specifically informed by the medical team that the complications he suffered were independent of the vaccine trial he underwent. In spite of specifically being made aware of the same, he still chose to go public and malign the reputation of the company.”
SII stated that the volunteer is falsely laying the blame for his medical problems on the Covid vaccine trial.
“It is evident that the intention behind the spreading of such malicious information is an oblique pecuniary motive. The Serum Institute of India will seek damages in excess of 100 crores for the same and will defend such malicious claims,” stated SII.
The respondent parties in the legal notice include Director General, ICMR, Drugs Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, CEO AstraZeneca UK, CEO Serum Institute of India, Professor Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator, Oxford Vaccine Trial, and Vice-Chancellor of Sri Ramachandra Higher Education and Research.
“Our client states that he must be compensated, in the least, for all the sufferings that he and his family have undergone and are likely to undergo in future. He is still far from being all right and has to be under medical care for a long time to come. Therefore, for all the trauma he is undergoing and with an uncertain future in his health, he should be given a financial compensation of Rs. 5 crores within two weeks from the receipt of this notice. Testing, manufacturing and the distribution of the vaccine should also be stopped immediately, ‘failing which he has no other option except to take appropriate legal action against all the concerned parties, who would be made responsible for all the costs and consequences,” the legal notice stated.
