‘Heart attack led to demise’: Doctors say UP ward boy’s death has no vaccine link

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The reason behind the death of the 46-year-old ward boy, who passed away 24 hours after the inoculation with the anti-Covid vaccine, was due to cardiac failure.

His demise was in no way linked to any kind of vaccine-related adverse event, said state health officials here on Monday.

The report of the autopsy, conducted by a panel of three doctors, said that a cardiac arrest was the cause of his death, Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal said.

A section of media and the family of the ward boy had attributed his demise to the side effects of the vaccine.

The panel of doctors, who conducted the autopsy included the medical officer of CHC Moodhapandey Dr. Shashi Bhushan, radiologist at district hospital (Moradabad) Dr. Nirmal Ojha, and radiologist at district women hospital (Moradabad) Dr. RP Mishra. Upon examination, the team found pus pockets in both the lungs and noted that the cardiac muscles had visibly degenerated.

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In their report submitted to the state health department, the panel inferred that the death was caused due to heart attack. They said that cardiopulmonary disease was the underlying cause of the heart attack. They also noted that Mahipal’s death was not linked to the vaccine’s side effects.

Mahipal was administered the Covishield vaccine on the inaugural day of the vaccination drive on Saturday. He was rushed to the hospital on Sunday evening on complaints of ‘breathlessness, discomfort and chest pain’. However, on reaching the hospital, the ward boy was declared dead upon arrival.

Mahipal’s family had claimed that he was feeling uneasy after the vaccination. However, state health officials did not relate it to the side effects. Taking note of the matter, the district administration had ordered the post-mortem examination. However, the panel of doctors has preserved the lung viscera for further testing along with samples of his lung, heart, and blood.