New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) A panel of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, today sought to clear the air on the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, affirming that there was no credible link between the vaccines and sudden deaths, including those attributed to heart attacks.
According to the doctors, such incidents were more likely to be tied to lifestyle factors and comorbities, including smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, rather than the Covid jabs.
Their assertion came a day after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a statement following Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah ordered a study on the reasons behind sudden deaths among young people in the state, and to see if the Covid-19 vaccines could have any adverse effects.
The Health Ministry had dismissed any link between the vaccines and the increasing cases of sudden fatalities due to heart attacks.
The AIIMS doctors emphasised that robust data did not support these claims, urging the public to base their understanding on scientific evidence rather than anecdotal reports.
“A study was done on sudden cardiac deaths to review the vaccines used so far, but no clear association was found with sudden cardiac deaths,” Dr Karan Madan, Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, AIIMS Delhi, told reporters here at a press conference.
He further said that, “COVID vaccines were effective vaccines and they played a crucial role in reducing the mortality. During the pandemic, vaccines are the only possible measure to save lives. Vaccines were used on a large number of people, and they provided a lot of benefits in preventing excess mortality. The benefits provided by the vaccines are immense. Studies in these direction also show that there has been no clear association with sudden cardiac deaths,” Madan added.
Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS Delhi, who was present alongside Madan at the press conference, said, “The Covishield vaccine efficacy was 62.1…Currently, there are 37 vaccines already approved by various regulatory authorities. The WHO has approved around 12 vaccines, and the majority of these vaccines are based on different technologies.
“If you see Covaxin, it’s an old technology…Covishield uses a vector that is an adenovirus…The other vaccine, Sputnik, almost the same principle…More than 13 billion doses have already been administered all over the world. There are countries like, the US, they have just completed fourth dose. The WHO is also recommending that everybody six months and above must get vaccine with the newer variant.”
“Vaccination has proven to be a vital tool in controlling the pandemic, and its protective benefits significantly surpass the rare and minimal risks that are inherent in any medical intervention,” said Dr Rai.
Dr. Sudheer Kumar Aarva, from Department of Pathology at AIIMS, lent further weight to this view, saying that in a study conducted by his team at least 50% of the sudden deaths they examined were linked to the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. He emphasised that these lifestyle choices, rather than vaccination, were the key contributing factors to the deaths.
According to Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, the state government has implemented the Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi Yojane to prevent sudden heart attacks. But, there is a need for comprehensive research on the recent increase in heart attacks among young people, he had said.
