In what could emerge as a dreadful development, the race for unveiling the COVID-19 vaccine in India has drawn a backlash after a 40-year-old business consultant in Chennai had filed a lawsuit demanding compensation from the Serum Institute of India after he developed serious neurological complications after he was administered with the vaccine as part of the trial. 

According to reports, the business consultant was a volunteer for the third phase of the Oxford Covishield COVID-19 vaccine trial conducted by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Following developing severe health complications after the vaccination, the consultant has filed a lawsuit demanding the compensation of Rs 5 crore from the Serum Institute. His family has gone to the law firm for moving his petition. 

The law firm from Chennai had now sent a legal notice to the Director-General of ICMR, Drugs Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, the Chief Executive of Astra Zeneca UK, the Chief Investigator of Oxford Vaccine Trial, and the Vice-Chancellor of Sri Ramachandra Higher Education and Research.  The business consultant was administered the vaccine at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education on October 1.

In the legal notice, the law firm said that the 40-year-old hasn't faced any adverse reaction to the vaccine for the first ten days. However, his family said that he began developing a severe headache on October 11. The consultant's wife alleged that there was a total behavioral change in him and he started forgetting his surroundings. Initially, he was taken to Sri Ramachandra Medical college for treatment and he was conscious but he couldn't able to recognize anyone. He was admitted to the hospital till October 29 and he lost his thoughts and he had even behaved aggressively sometimes. 

Though he was discharged from the hospital, his family claimed that he suffered severe complications following the vaccination and he suffered an extreme side-effect of the vaccine. The law firm has stated that the consultant's wife had said he was not stable and felt difficult in doing his routine. The lawsuit has claimed that the Drugs Controller General of India and the ICMR didn't get in touch with him to examine about the adverse effect after vaccination. 

The law firm has sought compensation of Rs 5 crore from the Serum Institute of India for the side effects caused to him by the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the institute. On behalf of the family, the law firm has sought compensation and demanded that the institute must stop the testing, manufacturing, and distribution of the vaccine. However, on the other hand, the Serum Institute had taken a counter lawsuit against the business consultant. 

According to reports, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India had filed a defamation suit against the Chennai based business consultant. The Serum Institute had filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against the consultant to challenge his legal notice filed against the institute by claiming that he had suffered a severe side-effect after administering the COVID-19 vaccine. 

In its statement, the Serum Institute had denied the allegations from the businessman as malicious and claimed that the legal notice was filed to spoil the reputation of the company. However, the Chennai law firm representing the business consultant has said that the Serum Institute has filed a defamation suit to threaten its client to withdraw the case.