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Norway has recorded a total of 29 deaths among people over the age of 75 who received their first vaccine against Covid-19, raising questions about which groups to target in national immunization programs.
The latest figure adds six to the number of known deaths in Norway and also lowers the age group that would be affected from 80.
Until Friday, Pfizer / BioNTech was the only vaccine available in Norway, and “all deaths are therefore linked to this vaccine,” the Norwegian Medicines Agency said on Saturday in a written response to Bloomberg.
“There are 13 deaths that have been assessed, and we are aware of another 16 deaths that are currently being assessed,” the agency said. All the reported deaths concerned “elderly people with serious basic disorders,” he said. “Most people have had the expected side effects of the vaccine, such as nausea and vomiting, fever, local reactions at the injection site and worsening of their underlying condition.”
Side effects
Norway’s experience has prompted the country to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old and terminally ill, the most cautious statement to date from a European health authority as countries assess the actual side effects of the first vaccines to be won. approval.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health estimates that “for the most fragile people, even relatively mild side effects can have serious consequences. For those who have a very short remaining lifespan anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant. “
Pfizer and BioNTech are working with the Norwegian regulator to investigate the deaths in Norway, Pfizer said in an emailed statement. The agency found that “the number of incidents so far is not alarming and in line with expectations,” Pfizer said.
“We know that deaths have been reported in other countries as well, but we do not yet have all the details,” the Norwegian Medicines Agency said. “There are also differences between countries as to who is a priority for vaccination, and this could also affect the reporting of side effects, including death.”
“The Norwegian Medicines Agency has communicated, prior to vaccination, that when vaccinating the oldest and sickest people, deaths are expected to occur in a time-related context with vaccination. This does not mean that there is a causal link between vaccination and death. We also, in relation to the reported deaths, indicated that it is possible that common and known side effects of the vaccines could have been a contributing factor to a serious course or a fatal outcome, ”the agency said.
Norway’s recommendation does not mean that younger and healthier people should avoid being vaccinated. But it’s an early indication of what to watch out for as countries begin to publish vaccine safety surveillance reports. Emer Cooke, the new head of the European Medicines Agency, said monitoring the safety of Covid vaccines, especially those that rely on new technologies such as messenger RNA, would be one of the biggest challenges once the vaccines are widely deployed.
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