A national Adverse event following immunization (AEFI) committee review of COVID vaccine side effects has confirmed 1 death resulting from vaccination in India.
The deceased, a 68 year old man, got jabbed on 8 May 2021, and died from anaphylaxis, reported India Today.
Which vaccine the deceased received has not been revealed.
The Government panel has so far reviewed 32 deaths for links to COVID vaccination.
"It is the first death that we have seen where the reason of death after an investigation was found to anaphylaxis after vaccination,” India Today quoted Dr NK Arora, Chairperson, National AEFI committee.
What the Committee Found
The AEFI has been studying the side effects of the COVID vaccines.
They reviewed 31 deaths caused by adverse reactions after vaccination, but found that 28 of these were not linked to the vaccines, although the cause of some of them is yet unknown.
3 cases of anaphylaxis, however, have been found to be due to the vaccination. Of these, 1 death was confirmed.
Of the 25,90,44,072 vaccinations administered in India, this is the first case of fatality to be directly linked the vaccine, confirming that such adverse affects are rare.
"If you look at the overall numbers (crores of doses administered), and there is only this small number that got a severe reaction. There were 31 cases that were investigated, and one death was due to vaccine, and among anaphylaxis cases, only two were found to be product-related. Most anaphylaxis reactions are managed,” Hindustan Times quoted Dr NK Arora, Chairperson, National AEFI committee.
What is Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a serious, life threatening allergic reaction. It is, however, manageable with quick action.
The most effective treatment is giving the person experiencing anaphylaxis a shot of Epinephrine immediately.
According to WebMD, the first signs of anaphylaxis to look out for are,
Coughing, Wheezing
Pain, tightness in chest
Dizziness, fainting
Rashes, hives, itchiness
Swollen or itchy lips and tongue
Swollen or itchy throat, hoarse voice
Paleness, weakness
Vomiting, Diarrhoea, cramps
The US CDC lists Anaphylaxis as a rare but possible allergic reaction to COVID vaccines.
(Written with inputs from India Today and Hindustan Times)
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