Recently a debate has surfaced after a video of sudden death of a school teacher in Lahore went viral on social media. Earlier an Indian actress Shifali Jariwala’s sudden death due to heart attack also raised concerns about the increasing number of deaths attributed to cardiac arrest.
In light of these incidents, questions have been raised about whether the rising number of sudden deaths could be linked to COVID-19 vaccines.
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Countering this rising panic, top cardiologists and researchers from Pakistan and India have dismissed these fears, citing a lack of credible scientific evidence.
Senior Pakistani cardiologist Professor Dr. Nadeem Rizvi said no study worldwide has established a connection between COVID-19 vaccines and higher heart disease or sudden cardiac deaths.
"The majority of sudden cardiac arrests among youths are caused by inherited problems or uncommon underlying conditions, not vaccines," he explained. Though exceedingly rare instances of myocarditis—a heart muscle inflammation—have been reported among young men following vaccination, Dr. Rizvi said these were generally mild and curable.
Arguing in its favor, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), studied more than 300 unexpected deaths in those who were between the ages of 18 and 45. It found that there was no link between these deaths and COVID-19 vaccines. "The trends noted post-vaccination are similar to those noted pre-pandemic," AIIMS Associate Professor Dr. Karan Madan observed.
Dr. Sudheer Arava, a pathologist in AIIMS, further stated that most of the deaths were caused by coronary artery disease due to factors like unhealthy lifestyle, pre-existing medical conditions, or hereditary predisposition—and not vaccines.
Medical experts stressed that unhealthy lifestyles like unwholesome diets, stress, cigarette smoking, and physical inactivity are the true risk factors for cardiac ailments in young individuals.
Medical experts encourage people to put preventive care, including exercise in moderation, regular checkups, and blood pressure management, ahead of vaccine hesitation. "COVID-19 vaccines are safe and essential," said Dr. Rajiv Narang of AIIMS. "We need to trust science, not rumors.
