Man dies after jab in Telangana, state says no link

Hyderabad/Nirmal: Telangana state recorded its first death from among the recipients of the Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday. The government has said the was not caused by the vaccine.

A 42-year-old healthcare worker from Nirmal district, a 108 ambulance driver, died less than 18 hours after receiving the vaccine.

According to the state health department, the deceased was vaccinated at the Kuntala Primary Health Centre in Nirmal district on January 19 at about 11.30 am. "At about 2.30 am on 20.1.2021, he is said to have developed chest pain and was brought dead to the District Hospital, Nirmal, around 5.30 am," Director of Public Health Dr G. Srinivasa Rao said in a statement on the death.

“Preliminary findings,” he said, “suggest that the death seems to be unrelated to vaccination.”

According to the Nirmal district medical and health officer Dr Dhanraj, the man died of cardiac arrest and the death was not related to Covid-19 vaccination. He said details on the cause of death could be determined only after conducting a post-mortem examination of the body.

Dr Srinivasa Rao said that as per the guidelines, after the post-mortem examination, "the district Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) committee is examining the matter and will submit its report to the state committee. The state committee will in turn furnish its report to the central AEFI committee for taking a view.”

This is the third such death so far following Covid-19 vaccinations in India since the drive to inoculate Indians against the disease was launched on January 16. The first two fatalities, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, were declared as not related to the vaccination by the Union health ministry.

In Telangana, till Monday night, a total of 69,625 health care workers were vaccinated. Three persons who reported AEFIs were hospitalised and they are stable, the health department said.