Ward boy in UP dies after taking COVID-19 jab, officials say not related to vaccine

In Uttar Pradesh`s Moradabad, a 46-year-old ward boy died within 24 hours after receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

New Delhi: In another case of adverse effect from Immunisation (AEFI), a 46-year-old ward boy from a district hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad died within 24 hours after receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

The ward boy, identified as Mahipal Singh, reportedly complained of breathlessness and unease in the chest after receiving a dose of Covishield, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Serum Institute of India.

“He (ward boy) was given the Covishield vaccine at about 12 PM on Saturday. A day later, he suffered pain in the chest with breathlessness. He had worked the night shift after vaccination and we don’t think the death is due to any side effect of the vaccine. We are trying to verify the exact reason of his death,” the chief medical officer (CMO) of the hospital was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Meanwhile, on Sunday the Centre said nearly 447 adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) were reported after day 1 of the vaccination drive in India. The Additional Secretary of the Union Health Ministry Manohar Agnani said out of the 447 adverse events following immunisation, only three required hospitalisations.

A total of 2,24,301 healthcare workers have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off the inoculation drive against COVID-19 and said the two vaccines being deployed will ensure a "decisive victory" for India against the pandemic.

India has approved two vaccines -- Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India -- for emergency use in the country.