ICMR study finds COVID-19 vaccination not linked to sudden deaths in young adults: Govt

New Delhi, Jul 22: The Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE) has released a study concluding that COVID-19 vaccination is not associated with unexplained sudden deaths among young adults in India, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Replying to a question by Congress Member of Parliament, Imran Pratapgarhi, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the study, titled “Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India: A multicentric matched case-control study”, was conducted across 47 tertiary care hospitals in 19 states and Union Territories between May and August 2023.
The study focused on apparently healthy individuals aged 18-45 who died suddenly (within 24 hours of hospitalisation or appearing healthy 24 hours prior to death) from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023, with no known co-morbidities. Data collected included COVID-19 vaccination and infection history, post-COVID conditions, family history of sudden death, lifestyle factors such as smoking, recreational drug use, alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and vigorous physical activity.
The findings showed that COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults. However, factors such as prior COVID-19 hospitalisation, family history of sudden death, and certain lifestyle behaviours were associated with higher risk.
The government highlighted ongoing efforts under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), supported by the Department of Health & Family Welfare, including the setup of NCD clinics and cardiac care units across the country.
It said the screening initiatives targeting individuals over 30 aim to prevent and manage common NCDs like diabetes and hypertension, which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
The community-based activities include promotion of healthy lifestyles through the Ayushman Arogya Mandir, awareness campaigns during health observances, and digital media outreach.
The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India’s Fit India movement and Yoga initiatives by the Ministry of AYUSH also contribute to public health promotion, the government said. (KNO)