If Vaccines Hadn't Saved Us From Covid-19, We Wouldn't Be Here To Question Heart Attacks
There is no conclusive proof that Covid vaccines directly caused a spike in heart attacks but we can't ignore that Covid-19 itself has left behind a legacy of cardiovascular damage
The rise in heart-related complications and sudden deaths post-Covid-19 has triggered several debates, especially around the role of vaccines. Social media amplifies claims—often anecdotal, rarely scientific—linking Covid-19 vaccines to cardiac issues. But here's a fundamental question: If these vaccines hadn't been developed in record time, would we have even lived long enough to speculate on their side effects?
The latest debate was triggered by a post on the social media platform X, where Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote on July 1: 'In the past month alone, in just one district of Hassan, more than twenty people have died due to heart attacks. The government is taking this matter very seriously… 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…"
In response, what we saw throughout last week was a coordinated and deliberate effort from the Centre, leading medical institutions, and vaccine manufacturers to rebuild and reinforce public confidence in Covid-19 vaccines.
Siddaramaiah's claim was strongly rebutted, not only by government-run institutions but also by top pharmaceutical executives, researchers, and well-known doctors.
Sample this: The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA)—the lobby of domestic pharmaceutical companies representing Sun Pharma, Glenmark, Lupin, Cipla and many others—issued a strong statement supporting Covid-19 vaccines. Industry leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon and Samir Mehta of Torrent Pharma also publicly backed vaccine safety and dismissed the unfounded claims. Top doctors from AIIMS and scientists at ICMR have taken to public platforms to bust myths and explain the science, stressing that panic must not replace facts.
The Serum Institute of India (SII)—manufacturer of India's poster boy vaccine Covishield—also reaffirmed that Covid-19 vaccines are safe, scientifically validated, and critical in saving lives. Given that over 170 crore doses of Covishield have been administered out of the 200+ crore total vaccine doses in India, this clarification is not just welcome but vital.
These clarifications were essential in addressing the growing public anxiety around sudden cardiac deaths, particularly among younger people. While these incidents are tragic and deserve a detailed investigation, the Union government has made it unequivocally clear: these deaths should not be automatically linked to Covid-19 vaccination.
Let's understand this scientifically.
As of today, there is no conclusive evidence that Covid-19 vaccines directly caused a spike in heart attacks or sudden cardiac arrests in India. However, we must not ignore a crucial truth: Covid-19 itself has left behind a legacy of cardiovascular damage. The virus is known to inflame blood vessels and affect heart muscle tissue. A 2022 study in Nature Medicine found a 63 per cent higher risk of heart attack in patients within a year of Covid infection.
Multiple global studies, including those published in respected medical journals such as The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, have shown that the risk of myocarditis and other heart complications is higher after a Covid-19 infection than after vaccination.
A study conducted by the Indian Journal of Medical Research—a peer-reviewed publication supported by ICMR—concluded that Covid-19 vaccination was not associated with an increased risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults. On the contrary, the study documented that vaccination reduced the risk of unexplained sudden death in this age group.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) have reiterated that adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) remain extremely rare. India's official AEFI data shows less than 0.01 per cent serious reactions among the more than 2.2 billion doses administered.
Add to this another critical factor: Indians are more genetically susceptible to heart diseases than Western populations. According to a Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia study published in February 2023, the cardiovascular burden in India is higher than the global average. The age-standardised death rate globally is 233 deaths per 1,00,000, while for India it is 282 per 1,00,000.
Yet, unfounded narratives continue to gain traction—some fuelled by misinformation, others by genuine grief seeking answers in a complex post-pandemic landscape.
What the available evidence shows is that vaccines, by reducing the severity and spread of the virus, likely played a role in limiting long-term cardiovascular consequences. They weren't just about immediate survival—they bought us time and prevented the invisible wave of complications that continues to unfold.
Even if science someday finds a small causal link between certain vaccines and rare cardiac events, we must remember: public health is about trade-offs. During a pandemic, decisions must be made under pressure, aiming to save as many lives as possible. Vaccines were not perfect and they were never claimed to be. What they were, and remain, is effective and life-saving on a population scale.
It's also essential to acknowledge the wider ecosystem of risk: lockdown-induced sedentary lifestyles, elevated stress, mental health challenges, and delayed chronic care. And also, the genetic structure of Indians, which is vulnerable to metabolic resistance, hence, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases develop relatively easily. These all contribute to rising cardiac cases—and must be part of the conversation. Blaming vaccines alone oversimplifies a deeply layered issue.
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In short, this is not a defence of pharmaceutical companies or vaccine makers who profited heavily during the pandemic, nor is it a dismissal of the real grief of those who lost loved ones. This is a call for nuance. We need to look at the full picture, not just one side of the story. Let's continue investigating, let's strengthen pharmacovigilance and monitoring across India.
Remember, we are alive to debate the side effects because the vaccines worked.
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AIIMS COVID-19 vaccine covishield health matters Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw news18 specials Serum Institute of India Siddaramaiah
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New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
July 07, 2025, 10:00 IST
News india If Vaccines Hadn't Saved Us From Covid-19, We Wouldn't Be Here To Question Heart Attacks
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