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NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday denied any direct link between COVID-19 vaccination and reports of sudden deaths in the country, asserting instead that lifestyle and pre-existing health conditions were the key contributing factors.
The government’s clarification came a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that an increase in heart attack-related deaths in Hassan district could be due to the “hasty approval and distribution” of COVID-19 vaccines to the public.
Quoting extensive studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Union Health Ministry said the matter of sudden unexplained deaths has been thoroughly investigated by multiple agencies across India.
“These studies have conclusively established that there is no direct link between COVID-19 vaccination and the reports of sudden deaths in the country,” the ministry said in a statement.
Instead, the statement attributed such deaths to factors like lifestyle and pre-existing conditions.
“Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) affirm that COVID-19 vaccines in India are safe and effective, with extremely rare instances of serious side effects. Sudden cardiac deaths can result from a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-COVID complications,” the statement added.
The ICMR and NCDC have collaborated to investigate the causes of sudden unexplained deaths, particularly among young adults aged between 18 and 45.
