On Sunday, a group of doctors and public health researchers had asked the Union Health Ministry to immediately inspect the 13 deaths following the COVID-19 vaccination in the last two weeks and share the detailed information in the public domain.

They wrote a letter to Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister, stating that to place the complete information related to all deaths, severe and serious adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout along with their investigation in the public domain. This information must include the date of vaccination, numbers, details of the AEFI, investigation status, place and results.

From the time since the vaccination began on 16th January, post-vaccination deaths were reported in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Odisha, Telangana, Kerala and Gujarat. Many of the 13 deaths had taken place in a few hours and 5 days of the people receiving the vaccines. The ministry has ruled out any underlying links till now and all the deaths are attributed to brain stroke and cardiovascular problems.

On Sunday, the two recent deaths were reported from Telangana and Gujarat. A 55-year-old healthcare worker from the Kasipet Mandal, Mancherial district died eleven days after vaccination and a 30-year-old sanitation worker of Vadodara Municipal Corporation died just two hours after getting the shot.

The Director of Public Health and Family Welfare in Telangana said that the cause of death is obviously suggestive of underlying morbidities and not due to COVID-19 vaccination. Ranjan Aiyyar the superintendent of Sayaji Hospital stated that the death of the sanitation worker was not chiefly due to the COVID-19 vaccine. The post-mortem report showed that he had a heart problem.

Samiran Panda, head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases division, Indian Council of Medical Research said that the Government should be more oriented towards public redressal and the public too should appreciate the scientific process of fundamental link establishment.

The doctors and public health researchers reasoned that these deaths come under the category of the World Health Organisation’s definition of a “cluster” of serious AEFIs and should be investigated accordingly.

Source: Deccan Herald