Healthcare worker's death in UP not linked to vaccine: Official
A healthcare worker in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad died on Sunday evening, nearly 24 hours after he received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. While his family claimed his death was associated with the vaccine, the administration denied it. Citing the autopsy report, an official said today the deceased, Mahipal Singh, died of cardiac arrest. Here's what went down.
Singh, who was 46 years old, worked as a ward boy at the district hospital. MC Garg, Moradabad's Chief Medical Officer, informed that he was inoculated around Saturday noon and started feeling uneasy a day later. Reports said Singh was given the first dose of Covishield. "On Sunday he felt breathless and complained of chest congestion, (sic)" Garg was quoted by NDTV.
Garg categorically denied any link between Singh's death and the vaccine. "He did night duty on Saturday too and there were no problems," the official said. Singh's family, however, claimed otherwise, with son Vishal saying, "I feel it was the side effects of the vaccination." The family also revealed that he never tested positive for the highly contagious disease, reports TOI.
Recalling what happened, Vishal said his father asked to pick him up from the vaccination site as he couldn't drive his two-wheeler. When he reached there by 1:30 pm, Singh's health had worsened and he wasn't behaving as he would, the son added. "He had a bit of pneumonia, the usual cough and cold, but he started feeling worse after returning home," he said.
"I brought him home and he was given tea and asked to take rest. On Sunday, while I was out for work, I came to know that my father's condition had deteriorated and he was taken to hospital where he was declared dead," Vishal revealed.
Subsequently, the district administration ordered a post-mortem. A panel including Dr. Shasi Bhushan, Medical Officer, CHC Moodhapandey; radiologist at district hospital Moradabad Dr. Nirmal Ojha; and another radiologist Dr. RP Mishra, from district women hospital Moradabad found pus pockets in Singh's lungs and concluded that his cardiac muscles had degenerated. They said the death wasn't associated with the vaccine's side effects.
On Monday Navneet Sehgal, Additional Chief Secretary (Information Department), revealed cardiac arrest caused the death, citing the panel's report. Samples of the deceased's lung, heart, and blood have been preserved by the panel for further testing. Yesterday, Dr. Manohar Agnani, the Joint Secretary in Union Health Ministry, revealed that out of the reported 447 adverse events following immunization, only three had to be hospitalized
