By News18
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the company that manufactures Covishield, on Thursday clarified that there is no direct link between the COVID-19 vaccination and the reports of sudden heart attack deaths in Karnataka鈥檚 Hassan. The vaccine manufacturing company鈥檚 response came after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday hinted at a link between COVID vaccine and the recent report of over 20 deaths in Karnataka due to heart attacks.
Sharing a statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, SII took to X and wrote, 鈥淚n light of recent concerns, we affirm: Two large-scale studies by ICMR and AIIMS, as cited by the Ministry of Health have found no link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden deaths.鈥
鈥淭he vaccines are safe and scientifically validated,鈥 it added.
The response came after Siddaramaiah claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine could be a possible reason behind sudden deaths in Hassan and accused the government of 鈥渉astily-approving鈥 the COVID vaccines during the pandemic.
Government Refutes Claims
Meanwhile, the government has denied allegations and has said that scientific experts have reiterated that statements linking COVID vaccination to sudden deaths are false and misleading, and are not supported by scientific consensus.
鈥淪peculative claims without conclusive evidence risk undermining public confidence in vaccines, which have played a crucial role in saving millions of lives during the pandemic. Such unfounded reports and claims could strongly contribute to vaccine hesitancy in the country, thereby adversely impacting public health,鈥 the Ministry of Health added.
Over 20 People Die In Karnataka, CM Points Vaccine Link
Karnataka鈥檚 Hassan district has been gripped by heart attack-related deaths, with over 20 deaths reported in the last 40 days. The majority of the victims were reportedly aged 19-45 years.
The government is taking this matter very seriously, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and stated that to identify the exact cause of these series of deaths and to find solutions, a committee of experts has been formed under the leadership of Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research.
鈥淚t cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the COVID vaccine could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated,鈥 Siddaramaiah wrote on X.