A plea has been submitted to the Supreme Court urging for an investigation into the potential adverse effects of the COVISHIELD vaccine manufactured by Astrazeneca, one of the two vaccines deployed in India's fight against COVID-19.

The petition was lodged in response to Astrazeneca's statement in a United Kingdom court that COVISHIELD carries the risk of a rare side effect associated with blood clotting.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari's plea asserted that AstraZeneca has acknowledged a connection between the vaccine and Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS), a medical condition marked by unusually low platelet levels and the development of blood clots.

The petitioner has requested that the Supreme Court form a medical expert panel, overseen by a retired apex court judge and including experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, to assess the side effects of COVISHIELD and its associated risk factors.

It was submitted that the government must promptly take action in the interest of the safety and health of Indian citizens.

"The issue has to be looked upon by the Union Government on priority so that in future no risk may occur regarding the health and life of India Citizens," the plea said.

Tiwari has urged the court to mandate the creation of a Vaccine Damage Payment System to provide compensation to individuals who suffer severe disabilities or fatalities due to a COVID vaccine.

In August 2022, the Kerala High Court had urged the Central Government and the National Disaster Management Authority to take immediate action in formulating guidelines for providing compensation to the families of individuals who passed away due to adverse reactions to the Covid-19 vaccine.

In November 2022, during a case before the Supreme Court concerning mandatory vaccination and the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, the Union government informed the court that it cannot be held accountable for compensating deaths resulting from adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) reiterated the same stance in response to a petition filed by the parents of two young women who allegedly died due to adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The government further informed the Supreme Court that vaccines produced by third-party manufacturers had undergone thorough regulatory scrutiny, and therefore, holding the State solely responsible for providing compensation might not be legally tenable.