Govt Report Confirms One Death After COVID-19 Vaccination

The first COVID-19 vaccine death in India was confirmed by a government panel Tuesday. In a report, the centre's National Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) committee labelled a man's death a "vaccine product related reaction."

AEFI's report assessed 31 severe cases since the beginning of India's vaccination drive in January this year. Out of total cases, 28 were deaths, NDTV reported.

The vaccine-related death in question is of a 68-year-old man who died on March 31 of anaphylaxis (an allergic reaction) after being administered the jab. Reports say he was fully vaccinated.

AEFI Chairperson Dr NK Arora has said the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines are "overwhelmingly greater" than any risks, which are far less.

"This is the first death where causality has been established, with vaccine resulting in an anaphylaxis reaction. But compared to the overall numbers, only a small number had a severe reaction," he was quoted saying.

COVID-19 Vaccine Death In India? Here's What The Health Committee Chief Says

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracing adverse events following vaccination, calling them "rare" but not dismissing their possibility. Anaphylaxis, CDC notes, has occurred in 2 to 5 people per million vaccinated in the US against COVID-19. The report further says anaphylaxis is a reaction that is not exclusive to only COVID-19 vaccines.

India had so far not acknowledged any deaths related to vaccination. In the 31 cases in AEFI's report, three persons experiences anaphylaxis or other severe reaction half an hour after the vaccine shot. While two recovered with hospitalisation, one died. Other cases were either termed "coincidental" or didn't have enough information to establish a link between the vaccine and deaths.

"Mere reporting of deaths and hospitalisations as serious adverse events did not automatically imply that the events were caused due to vaccines," Dr Arora added.