Death of Karnataka healthcare worker not due to COVID-19 vaccination, says expert committee

BELAGAVI: An expert committee has reported that the death of a 33-year-old Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) from Belagavi is unlikely to be due to taking the COVID-19 vaccine. The report says she was suffering from a headache frequently and was later diagnosed with cerebral aneurysm after an MRI scan.

The 33-year-old worker from Galataga village of Chikkodi taluk had taken the Covishield vaccine on January 22. After eight days, she complained of headache and vomiting. She was first admitted to the taluk hospital in Nippani, and then to Chikkodi hospital.

When she was found suffering from paralysis, relatives had taken her for Ayurvedic treatment at Nagarmunavali village in Belagavi. When the traditional treatment did not work, she was taken to Belagavi Institute of Medical Science (BIMS) hospital as her condition was severe but there was no improvement in her health. She was then shifted to KLE's Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital. After an MRI scan, she was diagnosed with a blood clot in the brain and was also suffering from viral fever. She died on February 3 in the hospital.

After her death, relatives of the deceased quarrelled with doctors in the hospital and alleged that the death was caused by taking the vaccine.

However, District Health Officer Dr Shashikant Munyal said, "The Asha worker did not die due to the vaccination. The autopsy of the deceased was carried out and the expert committee has made an analysis of the case and given a report that the death is unlikely to be because of the vaccination."