No 'serious or severe' adverse effect post COVID-19 vaccination so far: Health Ministry

A total of 3,81,305 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 and 580 adverse events following immunisation were reported in the country till now, the health ministry said

A medic administers the COVID-19 vaccine to a frontline worker in Bhopal

New Delhi: There has been "no case of serious or severe" adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) till date, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry has said dispelling fears and attempting to build confidence among the public regarding the pan-India exercise.

The comments from the Ministry came on the third day of the COVID-19 vaccination drive on Monday.

The comments came following media reports about two men - one each in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka - dying hours after they received the COVID-19 jabs. In a press conference, Additional Secretary in the Health Ministry Manohar Agnani said the man from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh died due to cardiopulmonary disease. 

The death "is not related to vaccination as per the post-mortem report", he said. The health worker who was vaccinated on January 16 and died the next evening.

Agnani further said that the cause of death of another man from Bellary in Karnataka is anterior wall infarction with cardiopulmonary failure. The post-mortem of the man, who was vaccinated on January 16 and died on Monday, is scheduled to be conducted at Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences in Bellary.

"No case of serious/severe AEFI attributable to vaccination till date," Agnani added. A total of 3,81,305 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 and 580 adverse events following immunisation were reported in the country till now, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

Agnani said 1,48,266 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 25 states and Union territories till 5 pm on Monday.

He said a cumulative 580 adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) and seven cases of hospitalisation have so far been reported in the country since the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation drive began on January 16.

(With PTI inputs)