NEW DELHI: Genetic predisposition and risky lifestyle choices could be the primary factors behind sudden deaths in India, rather than Covid-19 vaccination, Union Health Minister JP Nadda told Parliament on Friday (July 25).
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Nadda highlighted the significant role of underlying health conditions and genetic factors in the rising number of unexplained deaths across the country.
“Covid-19 vaccination does not appear to increase the risk. On the other hand, underlying health issues, genetic predisposition, and risky lifestyle choices do contribute to unexplained sudden deaths,” said the BJP national president.
He referred to studies conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to investigate these incidents.
“These studies found that Covid-19 vaccination did not elevate the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults in India. However, past Covid-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death, and certain lifestyle behaviours did increase the likelihood,” Nadda added.
He further stated, “Preliminary data from the AIIMS-led study shows that heart attacks, or myocardial infarctions (MIs), continue to be the leading cause of sudden death in this age group. Importantly, no major change in the pattern of causes has been observed compared to pre-Covid years.”
Meanwhile, the government informed Parliament that 164 people have died from Covid-19 between April and July.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav shared updates on the recent trend in Covid-19 cases.
“There was a slight increase in Covid-19 cases reported by States and Union Territories from the end of May 2025, which declined significantly by mid-June,” Jadhav said.
“As of July 22, 164 deaths due to Covid-19 had been reported by the States and UTs since April 1; most of these cases involved individuals with comorbidities,” he added. - The Statesman/ANN
