Sudden deaths caused by health issues, genetic link not Covid vax: Nadda

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Covid-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of sudden deaths, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda in the Parliament on Friday.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon session, Nadda noted the role of underlying health issues, as well as genetic links behind the rising unexplained deaths in the country.

“Covid-19 vaccination does not appear to increase the risk, whereas the role of underlying health issues, genetic predisposition, and risky lifestyle choices does play a role in unexplained sudden deaths,” said Nadda.

He cited the studies undertaken by the ICMR and NCDC, as well as the ICMR and AIIMS, to investigate the causes of sudden death.

“The studies observed that Covid-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults in India. Past Covid-19 hospitalisation, family history of sudden death, and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden death,” Nadda said.

“Early analysis of data from the AIIMS-led study indicates that heart attacks, or myocardial infarction (MI), continue to be the leading cause of sudden death in this age group. Importantly, no major changes in the pattern of causes have been observed when compared with previous years before the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

Meanwhile, the government informed the Parliament that Covid claimed 164 lives between April and July in the recent summer wave.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav shared details on Covid cases increasing in the country during the last three months.

“There was a slight increase in Covid 19 cases reported by States/UTs from the end of May 2025, which declined significantly since mid-June,” Jadhav said.

“As of July 22, 164 deaths due to Covid-19 had been reported by states/UTs since the first of April; the majority had comorbidities,” he added.

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