COVID-19 vaccines rigorously tested, linking to heart attack deaths misleading: Pharma industry

New Delhi | The pharmaceutical industry on Thursday refuted 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 without scientific evidence are factually incorrect and misleading.

Pharmaceutical industry leaders asserted that COVID-19 vaccines have been well-documented and rigorously tested according to regulatory standards, and linking them to the deaths in Hassan district due to cardiac ailments "without any scientific evidence is incorrect and misleading".

In a post on professional networking platform LinkedIn, Sun Pharma Chairman and MD Dilip Shanghvi termed "unfortunate" the "deaths of multiple young individuals in one district of Karnataka due to cardiac ailments".

"While this appears to be specific to the district, linking it to the COVID-19 vaccine without any scientific evidence is incorrect and misleading. India's vaccine approval process is rigorous and science-driven, and we must continue to have confidence in it," he asserted.

"The vaccine has been administered to millions across the country. If there was a connection, we would have seen similar incidents in many other places -- which is not the case. The state health authorities should thoroughly investigate the situation to determine the cause."

Similarly, Torrent Pharma Chairman Samir Mehta, in a post on X, said India has earned global recognition as 'Pharmacy of the World', supplying safe and effective vaccines to over 90 countries.

"India-made vaccines have consistently upheld the highest standards of safety, efficacy, and scientific innovation. Let us not allow misinformation to erode trust in science or the integrity of India's healthcare ecosystem," he exhorted.

Vaccines save lives, and India's contribution to global health is grounded in solid science and regulatory excellence, Mehta said.

Likewise, Zydus Chairman Pankaj R Patel said there are multiple other reasons, like age, environmental factors, genetics, lifestyle, etc., that could be the leading cause of heart attacks in people.

"Several scientific studies globally and in India have conclusively shown that the risk of heart attack or myocarditis is greater after SARS-CoV-2 infection. #Vaccines save lives. It has been proven beyond doubt that vaccination remains the most effective and preventive healthcare strategy to reduce deaths and disabilities," he asserted.

Patel recollected that the massive vaccination programme in India during the peak of the "COVID phase saved millions of people and families".

"In fact, a study published in the reputed global scientific publication, Lancet, estimated that India averted almost 3.4 million deaths due to vaccination in the year 2021," he wrote on X, asserting "#vaccineswork".

Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance also asserted that COVID-19 vaccines have been well-documented and rigorously tested according to regulatory standards, playing a crucial role in combating the pandemic.

Without naming Siddaramaiah, who linked COVID-19 vaccines with a spate of heart attack deaths in the state's Hassan district, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) said, "Misinformation and distortion of facts endanger public health and undermine the trust built on science and patient care globally".

"During the COVID pandemic, vaccines played a crucial role, and India consistently supplied medicines and vaccines across the world. These vaccines have been well documented and rigorously tested as per regulatory processes," IPA Secretary General Sudarshan Jain said in a statement.

Jain asserted that the Indian pharmaceutical industry is a knowledge-driven sector and plays a vital role in global health.

"India accounts for 60 per cent of global vaccine production," he noted.

Earlier in the day, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had also opposed Siddaramaiah's remarks, saying such claims are "factually incorrect" and "misleading".

He had also claimed the vaccines were 'hastily' approved.