Sudden deaths among young people linked to COVID-19 vaccine? What AIIMS-ICMR research says
A new AIIMS–ICMR research study on sudden deaths among young people has found no direct link between COVID-19 vaccines and such fatalities.
Amid long-standing concerns over sudden deaths among young people in India, a research study by AIIMS and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has provided reassuring clarity. The study found no direct link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden deaths among young individuals. Dr Sudhir Arava, Professor at AIIMS Delhi, shared key insights from the initial findings of the research. The causes of sudden deaths among young people were examined by AIIMS Delhi as part of a one-year observational study, the results of which have been published in an ICMR journal.
Speaking to ANI, Dr Sudhir Arora from the Department of Pathology at AIIMS Delhi said the findings clearly indicate that these sudden deaths have no association with COVID-19 vaccination.
What did the AIIMS-ICMR research reveal?
According to Dr Arava, a preliminary study found that sudden deaths, especially among young people, are not linked to the COVID-19 vaccine or any related complications. "The cases of sudden death among young people are caused by heart attacks. When the coronary arteries are blocked, the normal functioning of the heart stops. This is what leads to sudden death. Until now, this had not been documented in India. However, the initial paper based on our observations has documented this," he said.
When asked whether there is any link between sudden deaths among young people and the COVID vaccine, the doctor said, "Before conducting our detailed study, we also kept this possibility in mind. But our observations showed that these sudden deaths have no connection with the COVID vaccine."
"It is known worldwide that in most cases, elderly people die due to heart attacks. Many studies on this are available. However, we did not have studies on this type of death cases among young people. Western countries have such studies. When we began our observation, we found that heart attacks are also a major cause of death among the young. We have documented this as well in our paper," he added.
What is the cause of sudden deaths?
Explaining the reasons behind the cases of heart attacks among young people, the doctor said, "There could be several factors, and we need to conduct detailed studies on each of them. Lifestyle could be one reason. But it is clear from our study that no link with the COVID vaccine was found. These days, cases of excessive alcohol consumption among youth are also seen, which could be another reason. We should make modifications to our lifestyle."
"We have also conducted genetic analysis, and when that paper is published, some more aspects will be clear," Dr Arava added.