Tamil actor Vivek did not die due to vaccine-related complications: AEFI panel

The National Committee on Serious Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) said that the death of Tamil actor Vivek was not due to any complications related to the Covid-19 vaccine.

The actor had passed away two days after receiving the vaccine on April 17, 2021. The report by the Immunization Division of the Union Ministry of the Health and Family Welfare noted that his death was coincidental and not related to the Covaxin shot, reported The News Minute.

Following his death, vaccine hesitancy had increased in Tamil Nadu and the report is expected to help vaccination efforts.

The AEFI committee said that the medical reason for the actor's death was 'Acute myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock with ventricular fibrillation in a known case of hypertension'. It refers to a blockage of the heart, stopping the pumping of blood, and abnormal heart rhythm. The panel reported that the 59-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest due to underlying reasons, said TNM.

A senior health official in Tamil Nadu told The News Minute that Vivek's ECMO and ECG reports were submitted to the District AEFI and State AEFI and both committees came to the same conclusion.