The government has dismissed the social media claim that anaesthetics can be life-threatening for people vaccinated for COVID-19. In a tweet on Wednesday, the Press Information Bureau (PIB), a nodal agency of the Government of India said that there is no scientific evidence to confirm the claim.

For the past few days, a WhatsApp message, describing anaesthtics as life-threatening for COVID-19 vaccinated people, is in circulation.  

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“Anyone who has been vaccinated against coronavirus is prohibited from taking any type of anesthetics or dentist’s anesthetics because this poses a great danger to the life of a vaccinated person,” the message claims. 

It adds that everyone who is vaccinated must wait for a month to go under surgery involving anaesthesia.

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An anaesthetic is a drug that causes a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. It prevents pain during medical procedures by numbing a specific part of the body. General anesthesia induces unconsciousness during surgery.

While talking to India Today, Dr Samiran Panda, head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases division at ICMR, said, “There is no scientific evidence to validate the unfounded misinformation involving Covid vaccine and anaesthetics.”