‘May cause side-effects but saved millions of lives’: Kiran Mazumdar to Siddaramaiah on ‘COVID vaccine deaths’ allegations

Biocon founder and Executive Chairperson, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, responded to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said that the COVID vaccines administered during the pandemic could have led to deaths triggered by heart attacks. The minister blamed the “hasty approvals” that were given to the vaccine makers for the release of the vaccines.

“COVID-19 vaccines developed in India were approved under the Emergency Use Authorisation framework, following rigorous protocols aligned with global standards for safety and efficacy. To suggest that these vaccines were ‘hastily’ approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation. These vaccines have saved millions of lives and, like all vaccines, may cause side effects in a very small number of individuals. It is important to acknowledge the science and data-driven processes behind their development, rather than engage in retrospective blame,” said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, quoting the post by Siddaramaiah. 

In a social media post, Siddaramaiah said that the "hasty approval and distribution" of the Covid vaccine could be a reason for recent heart attack deaths in Hassan, Karnataka. He urged people experiencing chest pain or difficulty breathing to visit the nearest health centre immediately. More than twenty people have died due to heart attacks in Hassan district in the past month. 

The government has formed a committee led by Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, to investigate the cause of these deaths. The committee has been asked to submit a report within 10 days. The committee was also directed in February to study sudden deaths among young people in the state and examine any possible adverse effects of Covid vaccines. The process of analysing heart patients is ongoing.

The health department has issued a directive to form a district-level committee to verify each reported heart attack death. This committee, headed by Dr Ravindranath and working with Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, will submit its findings within 10 days.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundo Rao said the committee will conduct an audit, collect information, and check for any abnormalities. He assured that scientific analysis will be done and further decisions will be taken after the report is submitted.

Among the reported deaths, four were aged 20 years and below, one was between 21 and 29 years, five were between 30 and 40 years, seven were between 41 and 59 years, and one was above 60 years, according to the health department.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry, responding to Karnataka Siddaramaiah's remarks, stated that extensive studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have conclusively found no connection between coronavirus vaccines and sudden deaths. The ministry added that sudden unexplained deaths have been investigated by multiple agencies across the country. These investigations have established that there is no direct link between Covid-19 vaccination and reports of sudden deaths.

According to the ministry, studies by ICMR and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirm that Covid-19 vaccines used in India are safe and effective, with serious side effects being extremely rare. Two complementary studies have been conducted using different research methods—one based on past data and another involving real-time investigation.

The first study, led by ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), examined apparently healthy individuals who died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023. The study found that Covid-19 vaccination does not increase the risk of unexplained sudden deaths in young adults.

The second study, titled ‘Establishing the cause in sudden unexplained deaths in young’, is ongoing at AIIMS, New Delhi, with funding and collaboration from ICMR. This prospective study aims to identify common causes of sudden deaths in young adults. Early data analysis indicates that heart attacks or myocardial infarction remain the leading cause of sudden death in this age group.