Biocon chief rejects Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s remarks on COVID vaccines

Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday (July 3) rejected Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s comments linking COVID-19 vaccines to a series of heart attack deaths in the state’s Hassan district, calling the claims “factually incorrect” and “misleading.”

Also read | No link with Covid vaccines, says Serum Institute on Hassan cardiac deaths

Siddaramaiah has suggested that the recent heart attack deaths in Hassan district may be linked to the vaccination drive. He had also claimed the vaccines were “hastily” approved.

‘Factually incorrect claim’

In a social media post, Shaw said “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. To suggest that these vaccines were ‘hastily’ approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation.”

“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,” Shaw, Executive Chairperson of the pharma company, said.

Over 20 deaths in Hassan

The chief minister had said on Tuesday that over 20 people had died of heart attacks in Hassan district in the past month alone and that the state government was taking the matter seriously.

He announced the formation of an expert committee led by Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, to investigate the deaths. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within 10 days.

The CM said a similar directive had been issued in February to study sudden deaths among young people across the state and whether COVID-19 vaccines could have had any adverse effects. “It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the COVID vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated that COVID vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks,” Siddaramaiah had said.

Ministry refutes remark

The Union Health Ministry had on Wednesday dismissed the chief minister’s statement, saying extensive studies by ICMR and AIIMS have conclusively established no linkages between coronavirus vaccines and sudden deaths.

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Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) affirm that COVID-19 vaccines in India are safe and effective, with extremely rare instances of serious side effects, it said.

Sudden cardiac deaths can result from a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-COVID complications, the ministry said in a statement.

(With agency inputs)