Home Covishield Proven Safe: No Evidence Ties Vaccine to Cardiac Deaths

Amid rising concerns in Karnataka’s Hassan district after several sudden cardiac deaths, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah raised the possibility of a connection between COVID‑19 vaccination—specifically Covishield—and heart attacks. In response, the Serum Institute of India, maker of Covishield, alongside national health authorities and medical experts, have firmly reiterated that no causal link exists between the vaccine and these fatalities, citing large-scale studies that point to other health and lifestyle factors as the primary causes.

🧠 What sparked the concern?

In just over a month, 23 people, mostly younger or middle-aged adults, succumbed to heart attacks in Hassan, prompting CM Siddaramaiah to form a committee under Dr. Ravindranath from Jayadeva Institute to investigate a possible vaccine link. His comments suggested that “hasty approval and distribution” of COVID‑19 vaccines could be responsible.

📊 Scientific investigations find no link

1. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR):
   A multicentric case-control study involving 47 hospitals and over 700 sudden-death cases in those aged 18‑45 found no increase in unexplained sudden deaths post-vaccination. Alarmingly, two vaccine doses even reduced the odds of such incidents.
2. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) + ICMR:
   This ongoing study, titled Establishing the cause in sudden unexplained deaths in young, attributes most such fatalities to heart attacks, genetic predispositions, and high-risk lifestyle factors—not vaccination.
3. National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC):
   Echoes previous findings, noting only extremely rare serious side effects from COVID‑19 vaccines, with no evidence of sudden cardiac deaths being linked to vaccination.

🏛️ Health Ministry’s response

The Union Health Ministry emphasized that:

• Extensive investigations by ICMR and AIIMS “conclusively established that there is no direct link between COVID‑19 vaccination and sudden deaths”.
• Sudden cardiac deaths are mainly driven by genetics, lifestyle factors, pre-existing conditions, and post-COVID complications.
• Linking vaccines to deaths without evidence can fuel vaccine hesitancy and “undermine public confidence in life-saving immunisation”.

⚠️ Root causes behind sudden deaths

Medical experts highlight alternative explanations:

• Heart attacks—often silent—alongside genetic risk factors and pre-existing conditions remain the most common culprits.
• Lifestyle contributors: Poor diet, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol, stress, pollution, and unaccustomed strenuous activity significantly elevate cardiac risk.
• COVID‑19 infection itself poses a substantially higher risk of myocarditis and cardiac complications than vaccination.

🌍 Global evidence supports safety

International studies—from authorities like the CDC, WHO, and peer-reviewed global analyses—consistently show no trend of increased sudden cardiac deaths following vaccination. In some instances, COVID infection was far more likely to lead to such outcomes than the vaccines themselves .

💡 Why this reassurance is vital

This issue emerges at a crucial time: as fresh COVID variants circulate, maintaining public trust in vaccines is essential. Misleading claims attributing heart deaths to vaccines can derail immunisation efforts, risking increased hospitalisation and mortality. Authorities stress that science-based communication—rooted in transparent data—is key to safeguarding public health.