Hyderabad: A 42-year-old healthcare worker has died a day after taking COVID-19 vaccine in Telangana.
According to a statement issued by the office of the director of Public Health and Family Welfare, the man was vaccinated about 11:30 am on Tuesday in Kuntala PHC of Nirmal district.
He is said to have developed chest pain in the midnight and was brought dead to district hospital, Nirmala on Wednesday around 5:30 am.
The 42-year-old is the first such reported casualty in Telangana after taking the vaccine shot.
The health department has, however, said that his death is unrelated to the vaccination.
“Preliminary findings suggest that the death seem to be unrelated to vaccination,” said the statement.
Local media reported that the health worker’s name is Vitthal Rao, who is an ambulance driver. Even as the public health department confirmed that the cause of death is unrelated to vaccination, his family members alleged that it could be the only reason as Rao developed serious sickness only after taking the shot on Tuesday, the reports said.
The statement said, as per guideline, postmortem will be conducted by a team of doctors, adding, the district AEFI (Adverse Events following Immunization) committee is examining the matter and will submit its report to the state AEFI Committee.
“The state AEFI committee will, in turn, furnish its report to the central AEFI committee for taking a view,” the statement added.
Several deaths of healthcare workers have been reported so far in the country after the COVID vaccination drive started on January 16.