Adverse effect of Covid-19 vaccine: What the law says, or doesn't

Laws governing compensation in case of adverse side effects for Covaxin and Covishield may differ in accordance with the kind of approvals given, say legal experts

India has entered uncharted territory in terms of vaccine approvals. Never before have vaccines been made at such speed and approved by regulators in such haste. Serum Institute of India's (SII's) Adar Poonawalla had earlier stated that he wants the government to indemnify vaccine makers from liability. But the Centre has said nothing on the matter. However, irrespective of the stance that the government takes on indemnification, vaccine recipients still have some existing recourse in case of an adverse effect following immunisation (AEFI), according to legal experts. 

Lawyers say that since both vaccines — SII's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin