Vaccine / 1st death linked to COVID vaccine shows need of 30-min wait after jab: Govt panel head

New Delhi: The government panel which was studying the severe adverse effects following Covid-19 vaccination on Tuesday pointed out the need to wait for 30 minutes at the vaccination center so that their anaphylactic reactions can be promptly treated, according to a report by news agency PTI. The National AEFI committed on Tuesday released a report where it said that a sexagenarian man died due to anaphylaxis, which means a severe allergic reaction, following vaccination. The beneficiary had received the Covishield jab.

“This is the first death linked to Covid-19 vaccination due to anaphylaxis. It re-emphasises the need to wait for 30 minutes at the inoculation centre after receiving the jab. Most anaphylactic reactions occur during this period and prompt treatment prevents deaths,” Dr NK Arora, advisor to the National AEFI committee was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The health ministry also said that the death rate is 0.0002% out of the 235 million doses administered so far, highlighting that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks.

The national AEFI committee report also said that there were 2.7 deaths per million vaccine doses administered and 4.8 hospitalisations per million vaccine doses administered as per data recorded till the first week of April.

“The safety parameters of vaccines approved in our country are very good. When 23.5 crore doses were given then AEFI leading to deaths was as low as 0.0002% which comes to 488 deaths but these deaths are not because of vaccination,” health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said.

“There can be multiple factors and detailed analysis will be conducted by district and state level officials and then a conclusion will be reached on whether death was due to vaccine or due to any underlying comorbidities or other conditions,” the health ministry said.

The ministry said that reports which showed at least 488 deaths between January 16 and June 7 following vaccination were linked to post-Covid complications, were based on ‘incomplete data’ and ‘limited understanding’.