Rumors about COVID Vaccine in India; What Exactly Is True?

There have been rumors circulating on social media since the coronavirus vaccine was introduced in India on January 17.

However, the government has urged the people to get vaccinated without listening to these rumors and false information.

However, various conversations about this vaccine continue to be shared on social media.

Are there any truth to these claims?

Claim 1 - This vaccine will make you impotent or 'sexually-disabled'

Ashutosh Sinha of the Samajwadi Party, a politician from the state of Uttar Pradesh, recently made this claim.

But he did not give any evidence in favor of it.

"I think there may be something in this vaccine that will harm you. You may become sexually-disabled. Anything can happen," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the anti-government party, had earlier expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccine. He was referring to India's ruling party - the "BJP vaccine."

What is the truth?

The fact is that there is no evidence that anyone can be sexually disabled if they are vaccinated. India's top drug regulatory authority has dismissed the claims as "complete rubbish".

The company says the vaccine can cause side effects, such as a slight fever or body aches - but the vaccine is completely safe.

Indian Health Minister. Harsh Vardhan has also rejected these demands.

However, this is not the first time that rumors of sexual dysfunction have been spread in India over a vaccination program.

Decades ago, a massive vaccination campaign was launched in India to eradicate polio.

Even then, some Indians did not want to take the vaccine because of similar rumors.

The truth or proof of this rumor is not as it was then, it is not yet.

Claim 2 - India's covid vaccine contains pork

Some Islamic scholars in India have said that no Muslim should be vaccinated against covid vaccine, claiming that the vaccine contains ingredients that are made from pork.

It is true that gelatin made from pig's body is used as a "stabilizer" in vaccines against certain diseases.

Eating pork is forbidden in Islam.

Oxford-AstraZeneca, Kovacin, Pfizer and Moderna - none of these vaccines used gelatin made from pork.

The issue was discussed on Twitter following a post.

The post - which was widely shared - advised Muslims that Kovid's vaccine was not certified "halal." However, it was not clear exactly which vaccines were being used.

The reality is that only two vaccines have been approved for use in India, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, a US-invented vaccine with the local name Covishield, and the Covacin made by India Biotech.

Neither of these contains pork gelatin.

Both the Pfizer and Modern vaccines are similarly gelatin-free in pigs.

Some of these claims refer to the ingredients of Chinese-made vaccines, but no Chinese-made vaccines have been approved for use in India.

In some other countries, there has been controversy over the Chinese vaccine. In the Muslim-majority country of Indonesia, for example, local Islamic authorities have decided not to approve Chinese-made SinoVAC.

Claim 3 - There is a microchip inside the ticker

Conspiracy theories have been circulating around the world that the vaccine contains microchips. This demand has also received a lot of publicity on social media in India.

A short video has surfaced in which a Muslim religious leader says the Covid vaccine has a microchip that can control your mind.

The video went viral on Facebook and Twitter earlier this month.

The truth is - there is no microchip in any tick.

However, there are different groups in the world who believe in conspiracy theories, among whom this claim has spread at different times.

Claim 4 - Vaccines are very expensive in the United States and England.

Another widely publicized claim on social media is the price of tickers.

The bottom line is that the vaccine is available for free in India, but in the United States and England you have to pay the price.

A Twitter user said in his message that the price of the vaccine would be equivalent to Rs 5,000 in the United States and Rs 3,000 in England.

A Hindi TV channel in India then tweeted about the matter to ABP News, but later deleted it. These numbers are not entirely accurate.

The U.S. federal government has said that Covid's vaccine will be free, and that he may have to pay for the vaccine. However, this cost will be covered by the health insurance of many Americans, and those who do not have insurance will be reimbursed from a special Covid Relief Fund. So none of them have to pay any money.

This claim is not correct in the case of England either, as the vaccine is being given under the National Health Service - so there is no cost to get vaccinated. The cost of this service is covered by taxes and patients get health care for free.

It is true that the first phase of the vaccination program in India will be conducted free of cost - so that health workers and front row workers can get vaccinated. However, the Indian government has not yet clarified what will happen next.