BENGALURU: Refuting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s remark that the Covid-19 vaccine might be a reason for a sudden spike in heart attack-related deaths, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Wednesday said that the vaccines were approved under the ‘Emergency Use Authorisation’ framework, adding that the CM was factually incorrect, contributing to public misinformation.
On July 1, Siddaramaiah had claimed that it cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine to the public could also be a reason for heart attack deaths. Immediately, the Union Health Ministry took objection to his statement, and dismissed the Covid vaccine link with heart attack deaths.
“Covid-19 vaccines developed in India were approved under the Emergency Use Authorisation framework, following rigorous protocols aligned with global standards for safety and efficacy,” Kiran said on Wednesday, in her reply to the CM’s X post.
“To suggest that these vaccines were ‘hastily’ approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation,” the Biocon founder stated. She further went on to say that these vaccines have saved millions of lives and, like all vaccines, may cause side effects in a very small number of individuals. “It is important to acknowledge the science and data-driven processes behind their development, rather than engage in retrospective blame,” she ended.