Any demise after Covid vaccination can’t be routinely linked to it: Centre clarifies

The Indian government made it clear on Tuesday that it cannot automatically assume that deaths or hospital stays after the Covid-19 vaccination were due to vaccination and debunked several reports alleging deaths after vaccination.

“It clarifies that these reports are based on an incomplete and limited understanding of the matter at hand,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The government also said that according to several reports, “488 post-vaccination deaths are associated with complications from COVID-19 between January 16, 2021 and June 7, 2021, where the overall vaccination rate was 23.5 crore”. It added, however, “It should be noted that the term ‘succumb’ suggests causality, meaning that the deaths were caused by vaccinations.”

In addition, the government also made it clear that the number of deaths reported in the country following COVID-19 vaccination is only 0.0002% of the 23.5 billion doses administered, which is within expected mortality rates in one Population lies.

“There is a certain rate of death in a population. The raw death rate in 2017, according to SRS data, is 6.3 per 1000 people annually.”

The government also stressed that the death rate in people who test positive for COVID-19 disease is more than 1% and vaccination against COVID-19 can prevent these deaths. “Therefore, the risk of death after vaccination is negligible compared to the known risk of dying from COVID-19 disease,” she added.

Meanwhile, a government body studying the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines has confirmed the first post-vaccination death from anaphylaxis.

The causality assessment of 31 reported Serious Post-Immunization Adverse Events (AEFI) following COVID-19 vaccination was carried out by the panel.

According to a report by the National AEFI Committee, a 68-year-old man died of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) on March 8, 2021 after vaccination.

“It is the first death in connection with a COVID-19 vaccination due to anaphylaxis. He reiterated the need to wait 30 minutes at the vaccination center after receiving the vaccination. Most anaphylactic reactions occur during this time and immediate treatment prevents death. ” NK Arora, Chairman of the AEFI National Committee, PTI News Agency.

The committee examined five such cases, which occurred on February 5, eight cases on March 9, and 18 cases on March 31.

According to data in the first week of April, the reporting rate is 2.7 deaths per million vaccine doses administered and 4.8 hospital admissions per million vaccine doses administered, the report said.

Post-Immunization Adverse Event (AEFI) is defined as “any adverse medical event that follows immunization and that is not necessarily causally related to the use of the vaccine. This could be any adverse or unintended sign, an abnormal laboratory finding, a symptom, or an illness. “Healthcare workers, doctors and vaccine recipients have always been encouraged by the Indian and state governments to report all deaths, hospitalizations and incidents that result in disability, and all minor and adverse events after vaccination at any time after vaccination to report “, it said in the statement.

Deaths, hospitalizations, or events that cause disability or post-vaccination concern will be classified as severe or severe and will be investigated at the district level, the government said.

“Causality assessments help to understand whether the event was caused by the vaccine and are carried out at the state and national levels. Therefore, it cannot automatically be assumed that post-vaccination deaths or hospital stays were due to vaccination unless this is determined by the AEFI’s district, state and federal committees and is attributed to vaccination, “she added .

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