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Norwegian health officials say the COVID-19 vaccine could be “too risky” for coronavirus patients over 80 and the terminally ill, according to a Friday Bloomberg report.
What are the details?
According to the report, at least 23 people have died across the country shortly after receiving just the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, prompting experts to question whether the vaccine is safe for the elderly and the terminally ill.
Citing the country’s drug agency, Bloomberg reported: “Of these deaths, 13 in [have] been autopsied, the results suggesting that common side effects may have contributed to severe reactions in frail elderly people. ”
In a statement, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health explained: “For the most frail people, even relatively mild side effects can have serious consequences. For those who have a very short lifespan anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant. ”
At the time of this report, the outlet estimated that Norway had administered at least one dose to around 33,000 people.
‘We are not alarmed by this’
The Washington Post reported that the government, despite the deaths, is not worried.
Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the country’s experts “are not alarmed by this”.
“It is clear that these vaccines pose very little risk, with one small exception for the most fragile patients,” Madsen added. “Doctors now need to think carefully about who should be vaccinated. Those who are very fragile and at the very end of their life can be vaccinated after an individual assessment.”
Representatives of Pfizer and BioNTech have yet to issue public remarks on the news at the time of this report.
‘Developed in a hurry’
Following this news, the Global Times reported that Chinese health experts are calling on Norway to suspend the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the elderly.
The outlet reported that the mRNA vaccine had been “hastily developed and had never been used on a large scale for the prevention of infectious diseases.” As such, the Times notes, “its safety had not been confirmed for large-scale use in humans.”
The vaccine has only received temporary approval in the EU.
Yang Zhanqiu, a virologist from Wuhan University, told the outlet on Friday that the deaths, if caused by the vaccines, show that the effects of the vaccines are not as good as expected.
A Beijing-based immunologist, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times on Friday that the world should suspend use of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine represented by Pfizer because this new technology has not proven its safety in large-scale use or prevent any infectious disease, ”the outlet reported.“ The elderly, especially those over 80 years old, should not be recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, a- he said. ”
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