OSLO / NORWAY: Twenty-three people died in Norway Within days of receiving their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, 13 of those deaths apparently related to the side effects of the injections, the New York Post reported, citing health officials.
All 13 were nursing home patients and were at least 80 years old.
Common reactions to the vaccine, such as fever and nausea, “may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients,” the New York Post quoted Sigurd Hortemo, chief physician at the Norwegian Medicines Agency, in a statement Friday.
While officials don’t express serious concern, they are adjusting their guidance on who should get the vaccine.
More than 30,000 people in Norway have received their first injection of the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccine since late last month.
The agency’s medical director, Steinar Madsen, has stated that “the agency is not alarmed by this.”
“It is quite clear that these vaccines have very little risk, with a small exception for the most fragile patients. Doctors must now carefully consider who should be vaccinated. Those who are very fragile and are at the end of life can be vaccinated after they an individual assessment, “he said.
The agency reported Thursday that a total of 29 people had suffered side effects, including the 13 people who died.
Twenty-one women and eight men experienced side effects, authorities said.
In addition to those who died, nine had serious side effects, including allergic reactions, severe discomfort, and severe fever, while seven had less severe effects, including severe pain at the injection site, the New York Post reported.
According to health officials, around 400 people die each week in the nursing home population.
A representative for Pfizer said the company is “aware of the reported deaths” following the administration of the vaccine in Norway and is working with the Norwegian Medicines Agency to collect all the relevant information.
The total number of coronavirus cases reported in Norway is 58,202, while the death toll is 517, according to Johns Hopkins University
All 13 were nursing home patients and were at least 80 years old.
Common reactions to the vaccine, such as fever and nausea, “may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients,” the New York Post quoted Sigurd Hortemo, chief physician at the Norwegian Medicines Agency, in a statement Friday.
While officials don’t express serious concern, they are adjusting their guidance on who should get the vaccine.
More than 30,000 people in Norway have received their first injection of the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccine since late last month.
The agency’s medical director, Steinar Madsen, has stated that “the agency is not alarmed by this.”
“It is quite clear that these vaccines have very little risk, with a small exception for the most fragile patients. Doctors must now carefully consider who should be vaccinated. Those who are very fragile and are at the end of life can be vaccinated after they an individual assessment, “he said.
The agency reported Thursday that a total of 29 people had suffered side effects, including the 13 people who died.
Twenty-one women and eight men experienced side effects, authorities said.
In addition to those who died, nine had serious side effects, including allergic reactions, severe discomfort, and severe fever, while seven had less severe effects, including severe pain at the injection site, the New York Post reported.
According to health officials, around 400 people die each week in the nursing home population.
A representative for Pfizer said the company is “aware of the reported deaths” following the administration of the vaccine in Norway and is working with the Norwegian Medicines Agency to collect all the relevant information.
The total number of coronavirus cases reported in Norway is 58,202, while the death toll is 517, according to Johns Hopkins University
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