Latest news with #Murhekar
India Today
12 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
Rabies kills 5,700 Indians every year: Government aims for zero deaths by 2030
India has recorded a 75% reduction in rabies-related deaths, according to Dr. Manoj Murhekar, Director of the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE).The central government has set a goal of eliminating rabies deaths entirely by 2030, as part of its broader public health strategy.'We need to ensure that dogs are vaccinated. Only human vaccines will not suffice. We have data about how many animal bites are there, but we also need data about how many rabies deaths are there in dogs," said Dr. Murhekar, quoted an ICMR study published in The Lancet last Despite the progress, approximately 5,700 people still die from rabies in India every year, making it one of the leading countries in the world for rabies study also revealed that around 9 million animal bite cases are reported annually in the country, with two-thirds of them involving dog bites, the primary cause of rabies bridge existing gaps in prevention and care, Dr. Murhekar stressed the need to improve the availability of life-saving treatments across the country.'Rabies vaccine is currently available in 80% of health facilities. The goal is to take it to 100%. It is necessary to make monoclonal antibodies vaccine available, and it is especially important to give preformed antibody vaccines in Class 3 bite cases,' he antibody vaccines are a type of immunoglobulins that use lab-made proteins that act like natural antibodies to fight specific regular vaccines that train your body to make antibodies, these give you ready-made protection. They're fast-acting and useful in emergencies or for people with weak immune systems who can't respond well to traditional availability of such vaccines in peripheral health facilities was limited, while they were accessible in medical colleges, they now need to be made available government is also focusing on a 'One Health' approach, which recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.'We need to improve surveillance in animals. The goal is to make the rabies vaccine available in all hospitals across the country,' Dr. Murhekar comes after 22-year-old state-level Kabaddi player from Uttar Pradesh, Brijesh Solanki, died weeks after being bitten by a Solanki, a resident of Farana village, was bitten by the puppy while rescuing it from a drain, he became negligent and did not get an anti-rabies Murhekar stated that the government's objective is to ensure the availability of rabies vaccines in every hospital nationwide.- Ends
United News of India
17 hours ago
- Health
- United News of India
No link yet between Covid vaccine and Hassan deaths: ICMR
Bengaluru, July 3 (UNI) Amid rising concern over a surge in sudden deaths — nearly 70 reported in Karnataka's Hassan district over the past two months — Dr Manoj V Murhekar, senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research today clarified that current scientific evidence does not link COVID-19 vaccination to such fatalities. Responding to media queries, Dr Murhekar said, 'Yes, I have heard reports of 10 to 20 sudden deaths in one district over the last couple of months. I understand that the Karnataka government has constituted a high-level committee, including cardiologists, to thoroughly investigate the matter. We must wait for their findings.' He further informed that the committee is expected to submit its report within ten days. 'Let us wait until the expert committee releases its conclusions,' he said. Referring to a previous ICMR study conducted about 18 months ago, Dr Murhekar reiterated, 'The COVID-19 vaccine was not found to be associated with sudden deaths.' The spate of fatalities—many involving young adults—has triggered alarm in the region, prompting demands for a transparent and comprehensive investigation. State authorities have assured that the expert panel will explore all possible medical causes, including cardiac complications. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has also weighed in on the issue, stating that the possibility of a vaccine-related link cannot be dismissed outright, citing recent global findings. He directed a special team led by Dr CN Manjunath of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences to investigate the deaths and submit a detailed report within 10 days. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao echoed the need for a scientific approach, emphasising that many of the deaths occurred among individuals aged 18 to 40. He called for district-wide health screenings and a deeper inquiry to assess whether similar patterns exist elsewhere in the state or are unique to Hassan. Both leaders underscored the importance of evidence-based conclusions and urged the public not to jump to premature assumptions until the investigation is complete. UNI BDN PRS
The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID-19 vaccination and sudden death among young adults: Baseless claim will hamper vaccinations, says National Institute of Epidemiology Director
COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults, Manoj V. Murhekar, Director, India Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), told The Hindu on Wednesday (July 2, 2025), adding that their research had indicated other contributing factors, including genetic make-up, binge drinking, COVID-19 hospitalisation, and vigorous intensity physical activity. 'Past COVID hospitalisation, a family history of sudden death, and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of sudden deaths [in young adults],' Dr. Murhekar said, adding that research had, in fact, indicated the positive effect of vaccination. There was no urgency or need for the reintroduction of the COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose now, Dr. Murhekar said. 'As of now, we aren't seeing any major spikes in COVID cases, and there are no trends indicating the need for booster doses. We also know that newer variants are escaping vaccination cover so we need not rush into getting booster doses as of now,' he said. Baseless linking of COVID-19 vaccination to sudden deaths could hamper the vaccination programmes for other diseases, he cautioned. 'It is easy to blame vaccination without any scientific basis but the negative impact it has on the overall acceptance and adherence to vaccination trial participations and use suffers,' Dr. Murhekar said.
NDTV
a day ago
- Health
- NDTV
'No Evidence Linking Covid Vaccines To Sudden Deaths': Top Health Official
New Delhi: In the backdrop of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah linking heart-related deaths in the state's Hassan district to Covid-19 vaccines, the Union Health Ministry and a senior health official have clarified that there is no evidence of a connection between the two. Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have not identified any significant changes in the pattern of causes of death compared to previous years, the ministry said. The research bodies have pointed instead to lifestyle factors, genetics, and pre-existing conditions as key contributors to such deaths. The ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) conducted a large-scale multicentric study titled 'Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India' from May to August 2023. This analysis looked at apparently healthy individuals who died suddenly between October 2021 and March 2023. According to the report, there was no evidence that Covid-19 vaccination increased the risk of sudden, unexplained deaths. Dr Manoj Murhekar, director of ICMR-NIE, ruled out Covid-19 vaccines as a cause of the reported sudden deaths. "We have conducted studies across 50 hospitals in the country, and about 800 cases of sudden death were what we found is that Covid-19 vaccination is not associated with the sudden deaths," he said. #HealthForAll Extensive studies by @ICMRDELHI and AIIMS on sudden deaths among adults post COVID have conclusively established no linkage between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden deaths Lifestyle and Pre-Existing Conditions identified as key factors — Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) July 2, 2025 Acknowledging concerns brought up by Mr Siddaramaiah over 20 people dying of heart attacks in Hassan district in a short span, Dr Murhekar said the state's investigation would be critical to explain the reasons behind these local incidents. 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. To identify the exact cause of these series of deaths and to find solutions, a committee of experts has been… — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 1, 2025 The ICMR-NIE director also noted that an AIIMS study titled, 'Establishing the cause in sudden unexplained deaths in young' is currently underway, wherein post-mortems are being performed to identify precise causes. This study will also prove, he said, that heart attacks continue to be the leading cause of sudden death, and no major shifts in patterns have been noted compared to pre-pandemic data. The results of the AIIMS study are expected to shed light on the fact that genetic mutations or lifestyle-related factors might be involved in the sudden deaths. "To blame Covid vaccination might not be right," Dr Murhekar said. The director pointed out that factors such as severe Covid infection requiring hospitalisation, sudden strenuous exercise, binge drinking, and drug use appeared to raise the risk of sudden death. "Those who had severe Covid and those who required hospitalisation because of Covid had a higher risk of sudden death. Similarly, those who did exercises they were unaccustomed to had higher odds or higher risk of developing cardiac issues. Those who indulge in binge drinking or who are drug users are also at higher risk," said Dr Murhekar.
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Covid-19 jabs don't raise risk of sudden death: ICMR-NIE Director
New Delhi: Covid-19 vaccines did not increase the risk of sudden death among young adults in India, Manoj Murhekar, director, ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology reiterated, a day after Hassan deputy commissioner KS Lathakumari formed a committee to look into recent deaths in the district due to heart attacks. In the past one month, heart attacks have claimed more than 20 people in Karnataka's Hassan district. Murhekar said blaming Covid vaccines for sudden deaths would not be correct. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 20 Most Expensive Cars Seeking to allay the apprehensions, Murhekar mentioned a ICMR study which revealed that the spate of sudden deaths reported after the pandemic among young adults in India can be attributed to hospitalisation during Covid, binge drinking, and intense unaccustomed activity. "The study was conducted in 50 centres across the country. 800 cases of sudden deaths were included in that-they were healthy people that had suddenly died and did not have any illness. The study found that these deaths occurred due to comorbidity. What we found from our study is Covid vaccination was not associated with sudden deaths," he said. Live Events Murhekar said the study found that those who required hospitalisation due to severe Covid had a higher risk of sudden death, while those who did unaccustomed exercises had higher risk of developing comorbidity, while drug users or those into binge drinking were found to be at risk. He said the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is also undertaking a study on the matter. "The AIIMS study is still ongoing. What they are doing is sudden deaths. They are doing post mortems and trying to find out what could be the reasons. That study is ongoing but what I understand is that many of these had some other problems. To blame Covid vaccines might not be right," he said. Responding to rising concern over the sudden deaths, the Karnataka health department formed an expert committee to investigate a possible link to Covid vaccines. "There are reports from Karnataka that some deaths have happened. I also read that state leadership has constituted a committee. I am sure they would investigate and find out what are the reasons for sudden death," Murhekar said.
