Covid Vaccine Not Behind Sudden Deaths: Says ICMR-AIMS Report

July 3, 2025 - Contrary to rising public concerns, a nationwide study by ICMR and AIIMS has found no evidence that Covid-19 vaccines cause heart attacks or sudden deaths in young people. The studies conducted by India’s two largest medical institutions — the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) - have concluded there is no direct link between Covid-19 vaccines and sudden deaths. The institutions say that Covid-19 vaccines in India are safe and effective, with very few serious adverse events reported, and that vaccination does not increase risk of heart attacks.

This assurance comes in the wake of rising heart-attack cases post Covid-19 which have raised an alarm among the public, with most linking it to Covid vaccines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said various agencies in the country investigated cases of sudden deaths, proving no link with Covid-19 vaccination.

A statement by the Union Health Ministry on July 1 said, “The matter of sudden unexplained deaths has been investigated through several agencies in the country. Extensive studies by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and AIIMS on sudden deaths among adults post Covid have conclusively established no linkage between Covid-19 vaccines and sudden deaths. Studies by ICMR and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have affirmed that Covid-19 vaccines in  India are safe and effective, with extremely rare instances of serious side effects."

Recently, Karnataka’s Hassan district reported 23 deaths in just 40 days and all caused by heart attacks. The deceased were all either young or middle aged. The Karnataka government has set up an expert committee to ascertain the reason behind these heart attacks and submit a report.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has raised doubts about a link between these deaths and the Covid vaccine. He says the vaccine may have been approved and rolled out too quickly.

The Union Health Ministry is hoping to put an end to all such speculations with the conclusion of the studies which found that Covid-19 did not increase heart-attack risk among young people.

The study was conducted between May and August 2023, across 47 hospitals in 19 States and union territories. It deeply analysed cases of individuals aged 18 to 45, who were otherwise healthy but died suddenly from heart attacks between October 2021 and March 2023.

ICMR and AIIMS, along with the National Institute of Epidemiology, prepared the report. They concluded there was no scientific or medical link between sudden deaths and vaccination.

AIIMS’s analysis revealed that heart attacks (myocardial infarctions, MI) remain the leading cause of sudden death in middle age. In most cases labeled “unexplained,” potential genetic abnormalities were identified.

Heart attacks have been attributed to several possible reasons including underlying health conditions, genetic predispositions and risky lifestyles.

The government has cautioned that casting doubt on vaccines without evidence can sow fear and vaccine hesitancy. To monitor vaccine side effects, the Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) system tracks any potential adverse events.

With Media Inputs