K'taka CM linking Covid vaccine with heart attacks not with any malafide intention: Minister

Bengaluru, Jul 7 (PTI) Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement linking Covid vaccine with the spate of heart attacks was not with any malafide intention.

The CM had suggested that the heart attack deaths in Hassan district may be linked to the vaccination drive.

He also claimed that the vaccines were 'hastily' approved. His statement drew sharp criticism from the BJP and the likes of Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.

"The CM's intention was good but some people mistook it. He wanted to know about the side effects of Covid and its vaccine," Rao told reporters here.

In a post on 'X', the CM had said, "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. Before BJP criticize us on this matter, they should ask their conscience." An expert committee tasked with investigating the recent cases of heart attack deaths in Karnataka said there is no association between premature cardiovascular disease in a patient and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination.

On the contrary, a report submitted by the panel said Covid-19 vaccination has been shown to be protective against cardiac events in the long term.

The state government constituted an expert committee headed by Dr Ravindranath, Director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research to investigate the deaths of over 20 people due to heart attacks in Hassan district.

The report submitted to the government on July 2 stated that current data does not support the belief that "long covid" is responsible for the rise in sudden cardiovascular events among the young. PTI GMS KH