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Informist, Wednesday, Jul. 2, 2025

 

NEW DELHI – Citing studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Centre for Disease Control and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the health ministry Wednesday said that there is no direct link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden reported deaths of young adults in the country. "...COVID-19 vaccination does not appear to increase the risk, whereas, the role of underlying health issues, genetic predisposition and risky lifestyle choices does play a role in unexplained sudden deaths," the ministry said a release.

 

The ministry's clarification came a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah raised alarm bells on X, formerly Twitter, that in the past month alone, in just one district of Hassan, more than 20 people have died due to heart attacks. He said that a panel under the state government has been formed to identify the exact cause of these deaths and to find solutions, and it has been instructed to submit a report within 10 days. "It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the COVID vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated that COVID vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks," Siddaramaiah wrote. 

 

The health ministry said that ICMR and the National Centre for Disease Control, who have been working together to understand the causes behind sudden unexplained deaths among young adults aged 18-45, undertook two studies – one based on past data and another involving real-time investigation. 

 

The first study was carried out from May to August 2023 across 47 tertiary care hospitals in 19 states and Union territories and looked at individuals who appeared to be 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 unexplained sudden death in young adults, the ministry said. "Sudden cardiac deaths can result from a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-COVID complications," the study revealed. 

 

Early analysis of the second study, which was aimed at determining the common causes of sudden deaths in young adults, indicated that heart attack continues to be the leading cause of sudden death in this age group. "Importantly, no major changes in the pattern of causes have been observed when compared with previous years," the ministry said. "In majority of the unexplained death cases, genetic mutations have been identified as a possible cause of these deaths." The final results will be shared once the study is complete.

 

The ministry said 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 crucial role in saving millions of lives during the pandemic," it said. "Such unfounded reports and claims could strongly contribute to vaccine hesitancy in the country, thereby adversely impacting public health." As of 0800 IST, total number of active COVID-19 cases in India are 1,504, health ministry data showed.  End

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Reported by Priyasmita Dutta

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

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