Heart attacks, clots and the Covid vaccine. What’s the real story?

Bengaluru: Despite no published literature linking Covid vaccines to long-term complications, a local survey in Karnataka has raised concerns, with at least 800 respondents attributing new health issues to the vaccine.

A public poll by LocalCircles revealed that 841 respondents claimed serious health conditions such as heart attacks, blood clots, inflammation and organ damage in themselves or their family members were linked to the Covid vaccine. Among them, at least 15 per cent reported symptoms like rapid heart rate, dizziness and lightheadedness, which they believe began post vaccination.

Doctors in Bengaluru have noted an increase in patients, especially aged 30 to 50, presenting with respiratory and heart-related issues. However, they attribute these problems to seasonal and lifestyle changes rather than the vaccine.

Medical experts consulted by DH emphasised that existing studies focus on the long-term effects of Covid infection, not vaccination.

Dr MK Sudarshan, former chairman of Karnataka's Covid Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and Dr Ravi K, the incumbent chairman, clarified that vaccine-related adverse events typically occur within a month of vaccination and are rare.

"Persons facing health issues should consider pre-existing conditions. The belief that the vaccine is to blame is driven by misinformation on social media and lacks scientific backing," said Dr Sudarshan.

Dr Ravindra Mehta, a pulmonologist, added that complications could be the result of concurrent viral infections. "In patients reporting heart issues, we found the H1N1 virus. While severe infections can lead to health problems, there’s no scientific evidence that the Covid vaccine causes long-term complications," he said.

Public health consultant Dr Bhaskar Rajakumar pointed out that heightened health awareness post pandemic has led to more reported complications. "Many people are pushing themselves physically without fully understanding their health, especially post pandemic," he said.

Senior pulmonologist Dr Satyanarayana Mysore also noted a rise in younger cardiac patients, but cited various contributing factors. "Lifestyles have changed, and even seemingly fit individuals are falling ill. It's difficult to blame the vaccine alone," he added.