Covid-19 vaccine deaths: Norwegian officials say there is no direct link to the vaccine

Photographer: Jean-Francois Monier / AFP / Getty Images

Norwegian health officials say there is no evidence of a direct link between the recent spate of deaths among older people vaccinated against Covid-19 and the vaccine they received.

The Norwegian Medicines Agency seeks to allay fears that taking the vaccine is too risky, after 33 people in the country aged 75 years and over have died following the vaccination, according to the latest figures from the agency. All were already seriously ill, he said.

“Obviously, Covid-19 is much more dangerous for most patients than vaccination,” Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, said on Monday. “We are not alarmed.”

What you need to know about vaccine-related deaths and allergies: QuickTake

Initial reports from Norway made international headlines as the world searches for the first signs of potential vaccine side effects. Until Friday, Norway had only used the vaccine provided by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, and companies are now working with the Nordic country to investigate the deaths. The first European safety report on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected to be published at the end of January.

“All of these patients had serious underlying illnesses,” Madsen said. “We cannot say that people are dying from the vaccine. It can be said that it may be a coincidence. It is difficult to prove that the vaccine is the direct cause. “

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says …

“The concept of limiting Covid-19 vaccinations to those under 75 is not supported by US data covering more than 14 million people vaccinated, our analysis shows, although Norway reports a much higher death rate after have used the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The excessive deaths in Norway suggest that they are in subjects with serious and uncontrolled illnesses. “

– Sam Fazeli, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Industry Analyst

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