GUNTUR: An Accredited Social Health Activist (Asha), who received Covid-19 vaccine four days ago, died of brain stroke at the Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) centre in the Government General Hospital in the city on Sunday.
Dr Neelam Prabhavati, GGH Superintendent, said Bokka Vijaya Lakshmi (42), an Asha worker at Tadepalli Primary Health Centre, was administered Covid vaccine on January 20 along with the PHC medical officer and 10 other staff. Vijaya Lakshmi was admitted to the GGH on January 22 when she complained of headache and dizziness.
No adverse events following immunisation were reported from others who got vaccine along with the Asha worker.
She died of brain stem stroke and not due to Adverse Events Following Immunisation, said Dr Prabhavati. District Medical and Health Officer Dr J Yasmin also said the provisional reports suggest the cause of death as brain stroke.
According to her family members, she fainted and became unconscious on Thursday night, a day after receiving the vaccine. Alleging that she died due to Covid vaccine, her family members, along with Asha Workers Union members, staged a protest at the GGH demanding justice to her. They demanded an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh, a government job for her son and a house site.
Tension prevailed at the GGH when TDP activists joined the protest. Police used mild force to disperse the protesting TDP activists. District Collector I Samuel Anand Kumar who spoke to the family members of Asha worker, promised to extend all possible help from the government to them.
The agitating family members, however, demanded a written assurance from the Collector. “Though we are yet to ascertain the cause of death, on humanitarian grounds, we will send a proposal to the government for extending aid to the Asha worker’s family,’’ he said, adding that a job and a house site would be provided to her family.
Later in the evening, AEFI State Committee reviewed the situation arising out of the allegation of death of the Asha worker due to vaccination. Dr Geeta Prasadini, Additional Director of Health, said the expert committee and other specialist doctors examined the case and they could arrive at a conclusion only after getting the autopsy report.