ICMR finds no link between sudden death and Covid shots

Government data shows India suffered 45 million (4.5 crore) Covid infections and 533,295 related deaths but experts say the actual numbers are several times higher.

Moneycontrol News

November 21, 2023 / 18:10 IST

Many Indian hospitals ran out of beds during the peak of the Covid crisis.

Indian researchers discovered no indication linking Covid-19 vaccination to "unexplained sudden deaths," according to a statement from a medical organization on November 21. Instead, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) attributed the occurrences to the disease itself, along with factors such as binge drinking and intense exercise.

The ICMR conducted a study in response to "anecdotal reports about sudden unexplained deaths among apparently healthy adults" aged 18 to 45 between October 2021 and March 2023. The research group published their findings in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, stating, "We found no evidence of a positive association of COVID-19 vaccination with unexplained sudden death among young adults."

Simultaneously, the study identified risk factors for unexplained sudden death, including a family history of sudden death, hospitalization for COVID-19, and lifestyle behaviors such as recent binge drinking and vigorous-intensity physical activity.

In their investigation, ICMR researchers examined 29,171 sudden deaths, reviewing records of 729 cases and 2,916 "control" subjects. Government data shows India suffered 45 million (4.5 crore) Covid infections and 533,295 related deaths but experts say the actual numbers are several times higher. During the peak of the Covid crisis, many Indian hospitals faced bed shortages, leading to numerous deaths occurring at home.

The primary objective of vaccination remains the prevention of severe COVID-19 outcomes. While adverse events, particularly thromboembolic (obstruction of blood vessel) events, have been documented post-COVID-19 vaccination, limited evidence suggests protection against all-cause mortality across various age groups.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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