'No Covid Vaccine-Heart Attacks Link': Medical Report Junks Siddaramaiah Claim

NDTV

2 days ago

Bengaluru:
An expert committee set up by the Karnataka government said it did not find any link between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of COVID-19 infection or vaccination.
The committee - set up to assess public health challenges posed by the recent increase in sudden cardiovascular events, especially among young adults - said it conducted an observational study at Bengaluru's Jayadeva Hospital, and concluded "there is no single cause".
Traditionally-associated risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes, and hypertension, continue to remain prevalent amongst a majority of patients with sudden cardiac events, the study said.
It acknowledged "an increase in incidences of sudden cardiovascular events" immediately after Covid, but attributed it to "pro-inflammatory state" that could not be viewed as continuing past 12 months.
Overall, the current data, the committee said, "... does not support the belief Covid, or 'long Covid' is responsible for the rise in sudden cardiovascular events among the young'.
The committee also pointed out studies published in other parts of the world also failed to find any causal link between the Covid vaccine and sudden cardiovascular deaths, and noted that the vaccines had, in fact, been shown to be protective against cardiac events in the long-term.
Siddaramaiah vs Kiran Shaw On Vaccines
The report comes amid a row over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's statement linking Covid vaccines to more than 20 deaths - from sudden cardiac events - in the state's Hassan district.
In a social media post the embattled Congress veteran - who spent last week battling a power grab from his deputy, DK Shivakumar - claimed (with no medical proof) "... the hasty approval and distribution of the Covid vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths..."
Karnataka Chief MInister Siddaramaiah and Biocon boss Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (File).
"... several studies worldwide have recently indicated that Covid vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks," the Chief Minister declared.
The comment led to a row as Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw pushed back.
Ms Shaw described Mr Siddaramaiah's remarks as "factually incorrect" and warned that it could spread misinformation. She pointed out the vaccines had been "approved under the Emergency Use Authorisation framework" that follows "rigorous protocols aligned with global standards..."
READ | Biocon Chief Counters Siddaramaiah's Covid Vaccine-Heart Attack Claim
"These vaccines have saved millions of lives and, like all vaccines, may cause side effects in a very small number of individuals. It is important to acknowledge the science and data-driven processes behind their development, rather than engage in retrospective blame," she said.
The federal government also chipped in; the Health Ministry said studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Centre for Disease Control had not identified any significant change, compared to previous years, in patterns in deaths due to sudden cardiac events.
Dr Manoj Murhekar, Director of the ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology, ruled out vaccines completely, saying, "We have conducted studies across 50 hospitals... about 800 cases were reviewed...and we found vaccination is not associated with sudden deaths."
Undeterred by the rebuttals, last week the Chief Minister doubled down on his claim.
"Scientific caution is not anti-science. Many peer-reviewed studies... have discussed myocarditis and cardiac arrest risk, particularly among young adults post-vaccination. Publicly-funded stakeholders must acknowledge both the benefits and the potential risks without fear or favour," he said.