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Doctors in Norway are investigating the deaths of 23 seniors who have received the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer / BioNTech. Medics are trying to determine if an adverse reaction to injection “may have contributed to the death of some vulnerable patients”. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has updated the vaccination guide with new guidelines. Scientists stress that so far there is no cause for concern. What has been established so far?
- In Norway, 23 deaths of older people given the COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer / BioNTech are analyzed. The deceased seniors were well advanced in age and struggled with health complications
- Norwegian Medical Agency: it is possible that side effects, harmless in people in better health and younger age, which are not unusual in the case of vaccination, may have exacerbated diseases in the elderly
- Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology: So far “there is no evidence of any link between vaccination and the death of these sensitive patients”
- The Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommends that doctors assess each patient individually to determine if the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of potential side effects.
- You can find more such stories on the Onet homepage.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is updating the COVID-19 vaccination guide
The COVID-19 vaccine in Norway, as in many other countries, is given first to people most at risk of coronavirus infection, i.e. seniors and residents of care facilities. So far, the Norwegians have distributed 49. the doses of the preparation.
However, the news of the death of 23 people over 80 who received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine raised concerns. Norwegian doctors have announced that they are investigating what could have caused these deaths and whether they could somehow be linked to the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. The information provided shows that the deceased seniors were not only very advanced in age, but also struggled with health complications.
CNN points out that side effects after vaccination are rare and usually mild, but for the very sick and frail patients, some can be dangerous. This is pointed out by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, which updated the COVID-23 vaccination guide after the death of 19 seniors. It included a very important guideline for weak and terminally ill elderly people who are about to undergo vaccination. The Institute recommends that doctors who qualify for vaccination evaluate each patient individually to see if the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of potential side effects.
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According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, “for people with low life expectancy, the benefits of vaccination may be marginal or even insignificant”.
Dr. Madsen: Don’t be alarmed
The Norwegian Medical Agency (NOMA) emphasizes that all deaths that occur in the first few days after vaccination against COVID-19 are “carefully assessed” and sent to the Norwegian ADR health register. According to NOMA, 13 deceased seniors have been autopsied so far. It has been found that some are suspect of vaccine side effects, such as fever, nausea and diarrhea, which may have contributed to death. – It is possible that side effects, harmless in people in better health and younger age, which are not unusual in the case of vaccination, may have exacerbated the disease in the elderly – explained director of the agency Dr. Steinar Madsen.
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The specialist emphasized that this is not a cause for concern and raising the alarm for the time being, as these are rare cases, in line with expectations that have happened in weak people with very serious diseases.
An important issue was raised by the US chief epidemiologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci. The doctor emphasizes that the reported deaths should be considered in the context of the population in which they occurred, in this case extremely weak, ailing residents of nursing homes. Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, also spoke in a similar vein. As the scientist explains, vaccination of people at risk of death means “a certain number of accidental deaths that will occur shortly after vaccination”. To date, “there is no evidence of any link between vaccination and the death of these vulnerable patients”, in his opinion.
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Prof. Evans points out that regulators around the world closely monitor vaccine fatalities and are able to calculate the “expected number” of deaths over time. “We don’t know for sure, but the observed number of deaths does not seem to be much higher than expected,” he says, adding that there is no cause for concern, but no cause for satisfaction.
Dr. Fauci agreed with this assessment, stressing that the primary question was about the mortality rate among nursing home inmates who did not receive the vaccine. NOMA said in a statement that an average of 400 people die each week in nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Norway.
Pfizer also referred to this issue. In a statement sent to CNN, he stated that he was working with NOMA to gather all relevant information. “Norwegian authorities have given priority to vaccinating nursing home residents, most of whom are elderly struggling with disease, some are terminally ill,” Pfizer said, adding that NOMA said that “the number of deaths so far is not alarming and in line with expectations ».
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