New Delhi, July 2: In recent times, many cases of sudden death due to cardiac arrest have been seen in the country. After this, questions started arising whether it has any connection with the corona vaccine. In such a situation, the Union Health Ministry, dismissing all these allegations about the Covid-19 vaccine, clarified that the case of sudden unexplained deaths has been investigated through many agencies in the country. These studies have conclusively established that there is no direct link between corona vaccination and reports of sudden deaths in the country.
The Union Health Ministry said that studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) confirm that corona vaccines in India are safe and effective, with very few cases of serious side effects.
The ministry said that sudden cardiac deaths can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing diseases and post-Covid complications. ICMR and NCDC are working together to understand the reasons behind sudden unexplained deaths. To explore this, especially in young people aged 18 to 45 years, two complementary studies were conducted using different research approaches. One based on past data and the other involving real-time investigation. The first study conducted by ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) was titled “Factors associated with sudden deaths in adults aged 18-45 years in India – a multicentric matched case-control study.” The study was conducted from May to August 2023 in 47 tertiary care hospitals across 19 states and union territories. It included individuals who appeared healthy but died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023. The findings have conclusively shown that COVID-19 vaccination does not increase the risk of sudden deaths in young adults.
The ministry further informed that a second study in this regard titled “Finding causes of sudden unexplained deaths in young people”, is currently being conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi with funding and collaboration from ICMR. This is a prospective study aimed at finding out the common causes of sudden deaths in young adults. Initial analysis of the study data indicates that heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), continues to be the leading cause of sudden death in this age group. Importantly, no major change in the pattern of causes has been observed as compared to previous years. In most unexplained death cases, genetic mutations have been identified as the likely cause of these deaths. The final results will be shared once the study is completed.
According to the Health Ministry, both these studies show that the cause of sudden unexplained deaths in young adults in India is not linked to Covid-19 vaccination. Scientific experts have reiterated that statements linking Covid vaccination to sudden deaths are false and misleading, and are not supported by scientific consensus. Speculative claims without conclusive evidence risk undermining public confidence in vaccines, which have played a vital role in saving millions of lives during the pandemic.