NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Friday said that COVID-19 vaccination does not appear to increase the risk of sudden deaths.
Informing the Lok Sabha, the Health Minister said genetic predisposition and risky lifestyle choices do play a role in unexplained sudden deaths.
Quoting the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) study, titled “Factors Associated with Unexplained Sudden Deaths Among Adults Aged 18–45 Years in India – A Multicentric Matched Case-Control Study”, Nadda said it was conducted at 47 tertiary care hospitals across 19 States/Union Territories of India between May and August 2023.
The study found that receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine significantly reduced the odds of unexplained sudden death.
It was observed that past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death, binge drinking within 48 hours before death/interview, use of recreational drugs/substances, and performing vigorous-intensity physical activity within 48 hours before death/interview increased the odds of sudden death.
“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,” the Minister said.
The second study, “Establishing the Cause in Sudden Unexplained Deaths in Young”, conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, with funding and collaboration from ICMR, is a prospective study aimed at determining the common causes of sudden deaths in young adults.
“Early analysis of data from the study indicates that heart attacks, or myocardial infarction (MI), continue to be the leading cause of sudden death in this age group. Importantly, no major changes in the pattern of causes have been observed when compared with previous years before the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nadda added.
“Together, these two studies offer a more comprehensive understanding of sudden unexplained deaths in young adults in India. It has also been revealed that COVID-19 vaccination does not appear to increase the risk, whereas underlying health issues, genetic predisposition, and risky lifestyle choices do play a role in unexplained sudden deaths,” he said.