23 dead in Norway after receiving Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Twenty-three people have died in Norway within days of receiving their first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, of which 13 – all nursing home patients – apparently linked to side effects from the injections, health officials said.

Common reactions to the vaccine, including fever and nausea, “may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some fragile patients,” Sigurd Hortemo, chief medical officer of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, said in a statement Friday.

All 13 were nursing home patients at least 80 years old. While officials do not express serious concerns, they are adjusting their guidelines on who should get the vaccine.

The news comes just over a week after officials reported the deaths of only two nursing home residents after receiving the Pfizer blow.

More than 30,000 people in Norway have received the first vaccine against the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus in the Scandinavian country since the end of last month, according to official figures.

“We are not alarmed by this,” Steinar Madsen, the agency’s medical director, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “It is clear that these vaccines present very few risks, with one small exception for the most fragile patients.”

“Doctors now need to carefully consider who should be vaccinated,” he added. “Those who are very fragile and at the very end of their life can be vaccinated after an individual assessment.”

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 suffered side effects, officials said.

Besides those who died, nine had serious side effects – including allergic reactions, strong discomfort, and severe fever – while seven had less severe side effects, including severe pain at the injection site.

In total, more than 57,000 coronavirus-related cases and 500 deaths have been reported in Norway, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Health officials noted that around 400 people die each week in the nursing home population.

A representative from Pfizer said the pharmaceutical giant was “aware of the reported deaths” following the administration of the vaccine in Norway and was working with the Norwegian Medicines Agency “to put together all relevant information”.

“Norwegian authorities have prioritized the vaccination of residents of nursing homes, most of whom are very old with underlying medical conditions and some are terminally ill,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “[The Norwegian Medicine Agency confirms] the number of incidents to date is not alarming and in line with expectations. “

“All reported deaths will be carefully assessed by [the agency] to determine if these incidents are related to the vaccine, ”she added. “The Norwegian government will also consider adjusting its vaccination instructions to take more account of the health of patients.”