New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Friday said that binge drinking, use of recreational drugs and substances and performing vigorous-intensity physical activity are some of the causes of sudden death among people.
Quoting a study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Union Minister for Health Mansukh Mandaviya said that a total of 729 cases and 2916 controls were included in the analysis.
“It was observed that receipt of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine lowered the odds for unexplained sudden death, whereas past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death, binge drinking 48 hours before death, use of recreational drug and substance and performing vigorous-intensity physical activity 48 hours before death were positively associated. Two doses lowered the odds of unexplained sudden death, whereas single doses did not,” said Mandaviya in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
He said that sudden deaths have been reported in some people after COVID-19. However, sufficient evidence was not available to confirm the cause of such deaths.
“To ascertain the facts regarding the apprehension of rising cases of cardiac arrest after COVID-19, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) conducted a study titled “Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India – A multicentric matched case–control study” at 47 tertiary care hospitals located across 19 states/UT of India during May- August 2023,” he informed.
Four controls were included per case matched for age, gender and neighbourhood. Information was collected regarding data on COVID-19 vaccination, infection, post-COVID-19 conditions, family history of sudden death, smoking, recreational drug use, alcohol frequency, binge drinking and vigorous-intensity physical activity two days before death among the cases.
“Hence, the study observed that COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults in India. Past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden death,” he said.
Mandaviya said that there is a Nationwide National Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) surveillance system under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in place that continuously monitors through the COWIN app, reports of vaccine-related AEFI. These are investigated in a time-bound manner at the District level. Then AEFI causality is done at the State and National level and analysed by the National AEFI Committee on a regular and time-bound basis. Prima facie, to date no direct signal has emerged linking Heart Attack to COVID-19 vaccines.
When asked whether the Government is currently engaged in an ongoing study and review focused on assessing the potential risks associated with the administration of the Covid-vaccine in children, in a written reply, Mandaviya further informed that ICMR is not currently conducting any studies for assessing the potential risks associated with the administration of the Covid-19 vaccines in children.
However, a phase 2/3 open-label, non-randomised, multicentre study on the immunogenicity and safety of the BBV152 vaccine done in six hospitals in India on healthy children (male or female) aged 2–18 years observed that the vaccine was well tolerated with no serious adverse events, deaths, or withdrawals due to an adverse event reported during the study.
“Another prospective observational study on Corbevax vaccine side effects in children of age group 12–14 years demonstrated that Corbevax is a safe vaccine with few mild side effects,” Mandiviya stated.
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