A day after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested that sudden heart-related deaths in Hassan district could be linked to the Covid vaccine, the Union Health Ministry has clearly said there is no such connection.

On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said the “hasty approval and distribution” of the COVID-19 vaccine might have played a role in these deaths. He urged people to visit health centres if they had chest pain or difficulty breathing, and not ignore these symptoms.

In response, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday that several detailed studies by top health agencies have shown no link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden deaths.

“Studies by ICMR and AIIMS have clearly shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is not responsible for sudden unexplained deaths,” the ministry said in a statement.

What the studies found
The government said that sudden deaths, especially in young adults aged 18 to 45, have been closely studied in recent years. Two major studies were launched to understand the reasons behind these deaths.

The first study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) through its National Institute of Epidemiology. It took place from May to August 2023 in 47 major hospitals across 19 states and union territories.

This study looked at people who appeared healthy but died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023. The findings showed that COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of sudden death in young adults.

The second study is being done by AIIMS, New Delhi, with support from ICMR. This study is still ongoing and focuses on finding the main causes behind sudden deaths in young adults. Early results show that heart attacks (myocardial infarction) are still the leading cause of sudden death in this age group.

The Health Ministry said that when they compared current data with past years, there was no major change in the causes of sudden deaths. In many cases, genetic health problems were found to be one of the reasons. The full results will be released once the AIIMS study is complete.

“These studies clearly show that the COVID-19 vaccine does not raise the risk of sudden death. Instead, existing health conditions, genetic issues, and lifestyle choices play a bigger role,” the ministry said.