Siddaramaiah hits back at Biocon chief over alleged 'factually incorrect' remarks on Covid vaccines

Bengaluru: Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday opposed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's remarks linking covid-19 vaccines with a spate of heart attack deaths in the state's Hassan district, saying such claims are "'factually incorrect" and "misleading".

Siddaramaiah has suggested that the recent heart attack deaths in Hassan district may be linked to the vaccination drive. He had also claimed the vaccines were 'hastily' approved.

In a social media post, Shaw said "covid-19 vaccines developed in India were approved under the Emergency Use Authorisation framework, following rigorous protocols aligned with global standards for safety and efficacy. To suggest that these vaccines were 'hastily' approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation." Joining issue with Shaw, the CM it was his duty to respond to genuine concerns of people who lost loved ones unexpectedly. Seeking clarity was not misinformation.

"These vaccines have saved millions of lives and, like all vaccines, may cause side effects in a very small number of individuals. It is important to acknowledge the science and data-driven processes behind their development, rather than engage in retrospective blame," Shaw, Executive Chairperson of the pharma company, said.

The Chief Minister had said on Tuesday that over 20 people had died of heart attack in Hassan district in the past month alone, and that the state government was taking the matter seriously.

He announced the formation of an expert committee led by Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, to investigate the deaths. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within ten days.

The CM said a similar directive had been issued in February to study sudden deaths among young people across the state and whether covid-19 vaccines could have had any adverse effects.

"It cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the covid vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths, as several studies worldwide have recently indicated that covid vaccines could be a cause for the increasing number of heart attacks," Siddaramaiah had said.

Responding to Shaw, Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that as chief minister, "I have a duty to respond to the genuine concerns of people who have lost loved ones unexpectedly." "When parents lose their young children or families lose breadwinners without warning, seeking clarity is not misinformation; it is an act of governance rooted in empathy. While COVID vaccines may have saved many lives, globally, several studies and even admissions by manufacturers (e.g., AstraZeneca: telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/2…) have acknowledged rare but serious adverse events, including cardiac issues," he said in a post on 'X.' Scientific caution is not anti-science. Many peer-reviewed studies (such as Nature, Circulation, Journal of the American College of Cardiology) have discussed myocarditis and cardiac arrest risk, particularly among young adults post-vaccination, he said. Publicly funded stakeholders must acknowledge both the benefits and the potential risks without fear or favour.

"When I said 'hastily', it reflects the unprecedented speed of emergency rollouts globally without complete long-term data, acknowledged even by WHO and global regulatory agencies, who termed it a 'calculated risk' during a pandemic. Haste is not a sin when saving lives, but acknowledging potential unintended consequences is wisdom." "Seeking answers is not retrospective blame. It is the duty of a government that values every life. The governments and other responsible stakeholders should find the truth, act on it, and protect our people with transparency and care," the CM said.

On Wednesday, the Union Health Ministry had dismissed the CM's statement, saying extensive studies by ICMR and AIIMS have conclusively established no linkages between coronavirus vaccines and sudden deaths.

Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) affirm that covid-19 vaccines in India are safe and effective, with extremely rare instances of serious side effects, it said.

Sudden cardiac deaths can result from a wide range of factors, including genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, and post-covid complications, the ministry had said in a statement.