UP health worker dies day after receiving COVID-19 shot

A 46-year-old health worker died in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district a day after receiving the coronavirus vaccination, with the autopsy report attributing the death to "cardio-pulmonary disease", officials said on Monday.

The family of Mahipal, who was working as ward boy in state-run Deen Dayal Upadhaya Hospital, said he was not suffering from any ailment other than fever and cough, and blamed his death on vaccination.

But the Uttar Pradesh government said the man died due to septicemic shock and cardiac arrest and the death was not related to the COVID-19 vaccination.

"An adverse event following immunisation committee probed the death of the man in Moradabad. The cause of death was septicemic shock and cardiac arrest and it has nothing to do with the vaccination," the state's Additional Chief Secretary (Health)Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters in Lucknow.

He said that some persons were spreading false news regarding the vaccine and vaccinations, and people should not trust them.

"The two vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) used in the country are safe," Prasad added.

A total of 20,076 healthcare workers got their first jabs in UP on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a country-wide vaccination drive against the pandemic.

After Mahipal died on Sunday night, Moradabad District Magistrate Rakesh Singh said that a high-level medical inquiry would be held.

"The case of Mahipal is exceptional and a high-level medical inquiry will be ordered," he said while asserting that the vaccines are fully safe and no major side effects have been reported among others vaccinated.

Chief Medical Officer Milind Chandra Garg said that the cause of death was a cardiac problem.

"Deceased Mahipal's heart was found enlarged and it had blood clots, according to the postmortem report," he said.

The report of the post-mortem, conducted by three doctors, stated that the death was caused by "cardio-pulmonary disease" and there was "no relation with corona vaccine", the CMO said.

He said that some employees were suffering from fever after taking the shots. "They were facing general problems but not like Mahipal," he said.

Mahipal's son Vishal said that his father called him to the hospital as he was having breathing difficulty.

"My father was suffering from cough, but after vaccination he had a fever and felt a heaviness in breathing. On Sunday, he was admitted in the government hospital where he expired at night," he said.

Mahipal's family members claimed that he never had any cardiac problem and was "quite healthy except for the fever and cough".

"My father did not suffer from corona even when he performed his duty properly during the pandemic," his son said.