Our vaccines are safe: Covishield makers on 'link' to heart attack deaths
advertisementThe statement comes in the wake of extensive studies led by ICMR and AIIMS, which found that sudden deaths among adults could be a result of a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-Covid complications.
The Union Health Ministry also issued a clarification after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested a possible connection between Covid vaccines and recent heart-related deaths in the state, reiterating that the exhaustive studies have shown no evidence linking the vaccines to such incidents.India's vaccination programme relied heavily on two main vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin, which were administered to almost a billion people across the country.The sudden death of over 500 individuals in a month in Karnataka's Hassan district put on a spotlight on heart attack cases rising in India.In their statement, the Health Minister stressed that the vaccines have been rigorously studied and continue to be safe, with benefits far outweighing any risks.advertisementTo address the growing concerns, two large-scale national studies have been undertaken. The first, conducted by the ICMR and the National Institute of Epidemiology, examined sudden deaths among adults aged 18 to 45 across 47 hospitals in 19 states. The findings, based on data from October 2021 to March 2023, showed no evidence that Covid-19 vaccines increase the risk of sudden unexplained death.The second study, currently underway at AIIMS Delhi in collaboration with ICMR, is exploring the causes of these deaths in real time.Preliminary findings suggest heart attacks remain the most common cause, and in some cases, underlying genetic mutations could also be responsible. So far, no significant change has been found in the patterns of sudden deaths when compared to previous years.- Ends
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