Committee set up to investigate the death of health worker

January 20, 2021

Hyderabad, January 20

After a 42-year-old health worker died within hours of being vaccinated, the Telangana Government has set up a committee to look into the death. The government issued a statement saying that the health worker was vaccinated on Tuesday at Kuntala Primary Healthcare Centre, Nirmal District and he died on Wednesday.

Director of Public Health (DPH) G Srinivasa Rao, through a press release, said that preliminary findings revealed that death was unrelated to the vaccination.

Sources said that the health worker developed chest pain today and was rushed to the District Hospital in Nirmal District headquarters. But the doctors declared him brought dead at 5:30 am on Wednesday.

“Preliminary findings suggest that death seems to be unrelated to vaccination. As per the guidelines post-mortem will be conducted by a team of doctors. The district Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) committee is examining the matter and will submit its report to the state AEFI committee. The state AEFI committee will, in turn, furnish its report to the central AEFI committee for taking a view,” Dr Rao said.

Sources in the Telangana Health Department said that out of 69,625 people vaccinated so far, only 51 had shown some mild to adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. This is in contrast to the Union Government figures that put the number of people having a reaction to the vaccine at 0.18 per cent.

Telangana is using the Serum Institute of India produced Covishield along with the Hyderabad’s Bharat Biotech produced Covaxin. It has not been disclosed which of these two vaccines was given to the deceased health worker. The details will be clear after the committee submits its report.

Bharat Biotech has asked people not to take the vaccine if they have any history of allergies; fever; a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner; if they are immuno-compromised or are on a medicine that affects their immune system; if they are pregnant or breastfeeding; or if they have received another COVID-19 vaccine.