Twenty-three people have died in Norway a few days after receiving the first dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, 13 of those deaths – all in nursing homes – apparently related to the side effects of the shootings, officials said. health.
Frequent reactions to the vaccine, including fever and nausea, “could have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients,” Sigurd Hortemo, chief physician at the Norwegian Medicines Agency, said in a statement on Friday.
All 13 were patients at the medical home and were at least 80 years old. While officials do not express serious concern, they are adjusting their guidelines on who should receive the vaccine.
The news comes just over a week after officials reported the deaths of just two nursing home residents after receiving the Pfizer jab.
More than 30,000 people in Norway received the first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccine in the Scandinavian country at 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 quite clear that these vaccines present a very low risk, with one small exception for the most vulnerable patients.”
“Doctors must now consider who should be vaccinated,” he added. “Those who are very fragile and at the end of life can be vaccinated after an individual evaluation.”
The agency reported on Thursday that a total of 29 people suffered side effects, including the 13 people who died.
Twenty-one women and eight men experienced side effects, officials said.
In addition to those who died, nine had serious side effects – including allergic reactions, severe discomfort and severe fever – while seven had less serious effects, including severe pain at the injection site.
In all, more than 57,000 cases and 500 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Norway, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Health officials say about 400 people die each week in the nursing home population.
A Pfizer representative said the pharmaceutical giant was “aware of the reported deaths” following the vaccine in Norway and was working with the Norwegian Medicines Agency “to gather all relevant information”.
“Norwegian authorities have given priority to immunizing residents in nursing homes, most of whom are very elderly with underlying medical conditions and some are terminally ill,” a spokeswoman said in a statement. “[The Norwegian Medicine Agency confirms] the number of incidents so far 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 vaccination instructions to take greater account of patients’ health.”