NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's picture has been removed from the Covid vaccination certificate. The official explanation is that the image was removed due to the model code of conduct being in place for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. However, there is an allegation that Modi's image was removed from the vaccination certificate in a hurry when the company itself admitted that the Covishield vaccine produced by AstraZeneca, a UK pharmaceutical company, can cause serious side effects. Critics point out that the code of conduct has been in place for a long time and the picture was not removed at that time.

There were earlier widespread protests against the inclusion of Modi's picture in the Covid vaccine certificate, but the Centre ignored this and included his picture.
The company had the other day admitted that Covishield vaccine has serious side effects. The pharmaceutical company told the UK High Court that the Covishield vaccine could cause strokes and heart attacks. TTS (Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome), a medical condition in which the blood clots and the number of platelets in the blood decreases, is also possible. This is the first time the company has admitted that Covishield has side effects.

The vaccine was developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford. This vaccine was used globally under several names. The Serum Institute of India in Pune had the license to manufacture and distribute AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine in the country. In India, 175 crore doses of Covishield vaccine were used for injection. A group of 51 people have approached the UK High Court, alleging that the vaccine caused deaths and serious health problems and sought compensation.