Bengaluru, Jan 19 (IANS): A recipient of Covid vaccine in Karnataka's Ballari city died of heart stroke (myocardial infarction) and not due to the vaccine, said state Health Minister K. Sudhakar on Monday.

"The death of the 43-year-old vaccine beneficiary at Ballari was not due to vaccine but from heart stroke or myocardial infarction. He took the jab on Saturday (January 16) but had no side-effects since then. He was diabetic and had hypertension," clarified Sudhakar in a statement in Kannada here.

Ballari is about 310km northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state.

The victim was a resident of Kamalapura and was working as a group-D worker in the state-run Sandur general hospital.

"Though doctors at the state-run Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences tried to revive the victim's heart and gave emergency healthcare, he did not respond to the treatment. His autopsy report is awaited," said Sudhakar, a medical doctor by profession.

"Though the victim worked for two days after taking the shot, he was admitted to the hospital after he complained of chest pain earlier in the day," a health department official said.

According to a statement by the health department, the cause of the worker's death is due to anterior wall infarction with cardio-pulmonary failure.

ECG and ECHO reports also concluded that it was a death due to myocardial infarction.

"The AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunisation) committee met following the worker's death and took his history. After looking at his ECG and ECHO reports, they concluded that it was a death due to myocardial infarction," said Ballari district health officer H.L.Janardhan.

The vaccination was launched in the southern state on January 16 with fanfare after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the drive across the country from New Delhi through video-conferencing.

The state health department has decided to use Covishield in 24 of the 31 districts across the state and Covaxin in 6 districts, including Ballari under the emergency use situation.