- Norwegian health officials changed their advice about who gets the COVID-19 vaccine after more than 25 elderly people with underlying health problems died.
- According to the agency, “all deaths” are linked to the Pfizer vaccine, which was the only vaccine available in the country until Friday.
- However, Norwegian authorities say they are not alarmed and have advised doctors individually to decide who should receive the vaccine.
- Pfizer said it was investigating the deaths, but added that “the number of incidents so far is not alarming and is in line with expectations”.
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Norwegian health officials have warned that vaccinating the most frail elderly with serious underlying health problems can be dangerous, after the country has reported more than 25 deaths.
The Norwegian Medicines Agency first reported on Thursday that 23 elderly people died shortly after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, 13 of which may have suffered fatal side effects.
However, the death toll has been updated to 29 people by Sunday, according to Bloomberg.
According to the agency, “all deaths” are linked to the Pfizer vaccine, which was the only vaccine available in the country until Friday.
Authorities listed fever, vomiting and nausea as side effects that “may have led to the death of some fragile patients,” said Sigurd Hortemo, of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, Bloomberg reported.
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The latest deaths, all of which occurred among patients in nursing homes, prompted authorities to adjust their advice on who gets the COVID-19 vaccine, leaving it up to doctors to decide who should be vaccinated.
The country has also warned that other countries should keep an eye on their elderly vaccine recipients in the most cautious statement by a European health authority.
However, Norwegian authorities say they are not alarmed and that allergic reactions to vaccines are still very rare.
“We are not alarmed by this. It is quite clear that these vaccines have very little risk, with one small exception for the most fragile patients,” said Steinar Madsen, the agency’s medical director, according to ABC News.
“Doctors must now carefully consider who should be vaccinated. Those who are very fragile and at the end of life can be vaccinated after an individual evaluation ”, he added.
Pfizer and BioNTech said they are working with health officials to investigate the deaths, but added that “the number of incidents so far is not alarming and is in line with expectations,” according to Bloomberg.
Insider also asked Pfizer for comments, but received no response at the time of publication.
According to a Johns Hopkins University tracker, more than 58,000 Norwegians have been infected since the start of the pandemic, but only 517 have died.
On Friday, the European Medicines Agency said it would consider requesting monthly safety reports from companies authorized to sell vaccines, starting in January with the Pfizer jab.