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Norway will not change its policy on the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine following deaths among very fragile recipients, but officials have said healthcare workers should properly screen patients before deciding whether to apply them. the vaccine.
As of January 14, 23 reports of deaths suspected of being associated with COVID-19 vaccines had been submitted to the Norwegian health registry.
Of the 13 cases analyzed in detail so far, those affected were elderly, frail and seriously ill, Camilla Stoltenberg, director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), told reporters on Monday.
“It is important to remember that around 45 people die every day in nursing homes in Norway, so it is not a fact that this represents excess mortality or that there is a causal connection,” he said.
Stoltenberg reiterated that FHI’s guidelines on administering the vaccine remain the same, stating that physicians should consider the general health of their patients before administering the vaccine.
“You have to have an evaluation of each and every one before offering the vaccine,” he said.
But he added: “It is not impossible that some of those who have received the vaccine are so fragile that perhaps you should reconsider and not give them the vaccine, because they are so sick that they could have been made worse by the normal side effects. as the body reacts and immunity increases. “
News of the deaths had raised the alarm about the safety of the vaccine.
BioNTech had previously said that the Norwegian health authorities changed their recommendation regarding vaccination of the terminally ill.
But the company later retracted the statement following clarification from Norway. Pfizer did not immediately comment.
The death toll in Norway from the pandemic currently stands at 521 people, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
‘Very rare cases’
Norway is currently vaccinating residents of nursing homes, including those with serious underlying illnesses.
An average of 400 people die each week in nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the Nordic country.
Common adverse reactions to messenger RNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech injection, include fever, nausea, and diarrhea.
Several countries, including neighboring Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden, have also reported post-vaccination deaths, but no direct links to the vaccine have been established.
So far, more than 48,000 people have been vaccinated in Norway.
PM eases restrictions
Norway has had one of the lowest infection rates in Europe during the pandemic, imposing stricter restrictions earlier than many other countries.
The 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents was 157.95 in the week ending January 10, the fifth-lowest in Europe behind Iceland, Greece, Bulgaria and Finland, according to the Center. European for Disease Prevention and Control.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced the easing of some coronavirus restrictions on Monday after additional measures implemented over two weeks appeared to have achieved the desired effect in slowing transmission.
But Solberg stressed that infection rates were still too high for comfort.
“Although the measures appear to be working and infection rates are somewhat lower, the situation is still uncertain,” he told parliament. “The infection rates are still too high, but with common efforts, we can reduce the spread.”
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