Five days after receiving COVID-19 vaccine, 48-year-old Anganwadi worker dies in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Five days after receiving the vaccine for COVID-19, a 48-year-old Anganwadi worker from Warangal city died on Sunday morning. The family of the deceased, identified as G Vanitha, has alleged that she passed away due to the vaccination has filed a police complaint. 

Vanitha, a widow who used to live with her two children in Deen Dayal colony, used to work at the Anganwadi located in Shyampet area. On January 19 she received the Covid-19 vaccine at the New Shyampet Urban Primary Health Center (UPHC). 

On Saturday night, she complained to her family members of chest pain and discomfort. Suspecting it to be acidity, she took some medication and went to sleep. However, on Sunday morning her children found her dead. 

Vanitha's family members and colleagues who came to her house after knowing about the tragic development concluded that she must have died due to the vaccination. Vanitha was reportedly suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. Following this, the cops at Subedari police station have registered a case and are looking into the matter. 

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Warangal Urban, District Collector, Rajeevgandhi Hanumanthu said that he spoke with the MGM Government Hospital in the city and instructed the authorities there to conduct a postmortem and also spoke with the police officials regarding the matter. 

Hanumanthu said that until the postmortem report is out, it cannot be confirmed if Vanitha died due to the Covid-19 vaccination. 

It may be recalled that a 42-year-old man from Nirmal district in Telangana who had received the anti-COVID-19 dose on January 19, died within 18 hours of getting vaccinated. He had also developed chest pain. 

However, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday that six deaths reported across the country, including the death of the Nirmal man, were not "causally linked with COVID-19 vaccination". The Telangana public health department officials had also said that preliminary findings suggested the death could be unrelated to the vaccination.

It may also be mentioned here that 1,10,248 healthcare workers have been immunised against Covid-19 in Telangana so far.