Medical experts have dismissed claims that COVID-19 vaccines are behind a recent rise in heart attack-related deaths, following Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s remarks about over 20 such fatalities in Hassan district. Speaking to ANI, Dr. Mohit Gupta, a cardiology professor at GB Pant Hospital, cited findings from a study involving 1,600 heart attack patients. The research compared outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and showed that those who had received the COVID vaccine had a significantly lower risk of heart attacks, sudden death, and overall mortality. “Not only were the risks lower in the vaccinated group, but the protective benefits extended up to six months,” he said.

Dr. Gupta emphasized that the vaccines are safe and offer a protective effect. “This isn’t just our study—ICMR has validated these findings. Large-scale research from multiple hospitals, a Korean study involving around 200,000 people, and a U.S. COVID collaboration have all shown similar results,” he noted, adding that both Covaxin and Covishield were found to be equally safe.

He firmly rejected any connection between the vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths, saying, “There’s a lot of hype, but if the vaccines were truly the cause, we’d see a noticeable spike in deaths nationwide, which hasn’t happened in the past five years. A few isolated cases cannot justify such a claim—sudden cardiac deaths can occur for many reasons. Scientific data clearly shows no link between the vaccines and sudden deaths.” Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, also criticized the Chief Minister's statement, calling it factually incorrect to suggest that COVID vaccines were approved in haste or are responsible for the deaths.

Previously, CM Siddaramaiah had posted on X that more than 20 people in Hassan district had died from heart attacks in the past month. He said the state government is taking the issue seriously and has formed a special expert committee, led by Dr. Ravindranath of the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, to investigate the deaths and submit a report within 10 days. He also mentioned that a broader study into sudden deaths among young people in Karnataka, including a possible vaccine link, has been underway since February.

On July 2, the Union Health Ministry released a statement confirming that studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have found no direct connection between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden deaths. Multiple agencies have reviewed the matter, and all concluded that the vaccines are not responsible for the reported cases.