Are there any side effects of Covid-19 vaccines?

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As India readies for the massive Covid-19 vaccination drive on January 16, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan clarified that although there may be side effects to the vaccines, "they are expected to go away on their own after some time."

"As is true for many other vaccines, some individuals may have side effects such as mild fever, pain at the site of injection and body ache. However, these side effects are temporary and should go away on their own after some time," the minister tweeted.

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India's drugs regulator has approved Oxford Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.

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India is the second worst-hit nation by the virus, after the United States, with more than 10.5 million cases. The nation has reported over 1,50,000 deaths, the third-highest globally after the United States and Brazil.

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(With agency inputs)