After UP Ward Boy, Now Telangana Ambulance Driver Dies Hours After Getting COVID Vaccine

A 42-year-old male healthcare worker in Telangana, who received COVID-19 vaccine at the Kuntala Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Nirmal district of Telangana on Tuesday, was 'brought dead' to a government hospital on early Wednesday morning. This is the first such case reported in the state.

The death of the victim who was an ambulance driver has created panic among many in the state. He was vaccinated in Telangana on January 19.

AFP

The victim Vitthal allegedly died within 18 hours of being vaccinated after developing chest pains. He was vaccinated at about 11.30 am on January 19, following which he suffered chest pain at night and was brought dead to the district hospital early morning on January 20.

Family blames death on vaccine

While the healthcare worker's family has blamed the death on vaccination, the state health department has said the death was unrelated to the vaccination, according to the preliminary report.

ANI

Meanwhile, Telangana health department has said that district AEFI committee is examining the matter and will submit its report to the state AEFI committee. As per the guidelines, post mortem will be conducted by a team of doctors.

70 AEFI cases reported in state so far

¡°The state AEFI committee will in turn furnish its report to the central AEFI committee for taking a view,¡± said Director of Medical Health G Srinivas Rao.

Telangana began the vaccination programme on 16 January and has so far more than 70 AEFI cases though this is the first death that has been reported. Some health workers in Osmania Hospital have reported fever and body aches after the jab.

AFP

Meanwhile, in a letter to Union minister for health and family welfare Harsh Vardhan KT Rama Rao iterated the request for establishment of a vaccine testing and certification laboratory in Hyderabad, similar to the Central Drug Laboratory at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh.

So far, more than 600 cases of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) have been reported from across India in the first 5 days of the vaccination drive.

Adverse events from across the world

In California, health officials halted giving out shots from one lot of Moderna vaccine. This happened after California Department of Public Health said on Sunday that fewer than 10 people at a clinic in San Diego who received Covid-19 shots from the lot required medical attention over the span of 24 hours. The state said it was not aware of anyone at any of the other 286 sites who had similar severe allergic reactions after receiving vaccine from the lot, but they had to a halt the drive.

Reuters

On Friday, reports of about 30 deaths among elderly nursing home residents who received the Pfizer vaccine came in. The shocking news made international headlines raising concerns over the use of Pfizer vaccine.

Health authorities in Florida are investigating the case of a Florida doctor who died from an unusually severe blood disorder on Jan 12, 16 days after receiving the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.