45-yr-old dies hours after getting Covishield shot in Balapur

Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a 45-year-old man died a few hours after taking his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, at Balapur on the city outskirts on Friday. The victim S. Narsi Reddy along with his wife took the vaccine.

According to reports, Narsi Reddy and his wife, residents of Raghavendra Nagar colony in Meerpet of Balapur, took the vaccine at the Jillelaguda vaccination centre. He dropped his wife at home and went to work where he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead upon arrival. His wife alleged that though she was not willing to take the vaccine, her husband insisted that they take it.

Meanwhile, the health officials supervising the vaccine drive at the centre said that after taking the shot, Narsi Reddy was at the centre for 30 minutes for routine observation and he was fine when he left the place. He could have died of a cardiac arrest, they said.

They said vaccination drives at Balapur are being conducted at three centres - Jillelaguda, Badangpet and Jalpally - for the past seven days. Hundreds of people received vaccines and all were given Covishield shots, but no one reported any complications.

Usually for any vaccine, one in a few lakhs will have complications and unfortunately, one such incident occurred at their centres, they said. "The person is already 45 years of age and could have died of a cardiac arrest. The same vial used for him was used for others and even for his wife too, but all of them are healthy and fine. The vial administered to him along with the batch details is stored and recorded. It will be submitted along with a report to the higher officials," the health officials at the centre said.