The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has updated its COVID-19 vaccination guide for inoculating the elderly or frail after 30 aged care residents died shortly after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.
Investigations have so far found common adverse reactions of mRNA vaccines like fever, nausea, and diarrhoea may have contributed to 13 of those deaths. The residents were all aged over 75 and had either months or weeks to live. More than 42,000 people have received the vaccine in Norway.
It’s not yet known whether these deaths are directly linked to the vaccine, or whether there’s cause for alarm. Similar outcomes have not been reported in other countries where the Pfizer vaccine has been widely distributed, including the UK, US and Israel.
Coincidence or connection?
Norwegian Medicines Agency medical director Steinar Madsen told medical journal BMJ the link between the deaths and the vaccine wasn’t clear.
“It may be a coincidence, but we aren’t sure,” he said. “There is no certain connection between these deaths and the vaccine.”
Australian National University Professor of Immunology David Tscharke told Crikey there were a lot of factors to consider.
“The problem is in the period of time after someone is vaccinated all sorts of things can go wrong,” he said, pointing to pneumonia and issues around care.
“Just because you get vaccinated doesn’t mean all of the other reasons go away as to why you might die or get ill.”
But, he added, the fact deaths had only been reported in Norway was unexpected.
“It is surprising to find a single location where something happens,” he said.
Australian regulator on alert
Health Minister Greg Hunt has said the government has requested the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) seek extra information from Pfizer and the Norwegian medical regulator.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne has also tasked the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with seeking advice directly from the Norwegian government, and Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has also been briefed.
Based on that information, the TGA “might choose that a vaccine would apply in certain age groups or not to people in certain immune conditions,” Hunt said.
The vaccine rollout timeline is not likely to be affected and Hunt stressed that the US, which has administered over 1.8 million doses, had been reporting very positive safety and efficacy results.
“But we’re proceeding with an abundance of caution,” he added.
Transparency is crucial
While the deaths might be shocking, La Trobe University social psychology lecturer Dr Mathew Marques tells Crikey transparency in reporting even possible connections was important.
“Keeping the public informed is crucial,” he said.
Marques, who studies conspiracy theorists, said while the deaths might be used by some vaccine hesitancy groups to support their arguments, these groups remain in the minority, especially in Australia.
“Being clear about efficacy and concerns people have had in the past with other vaccines are likely to be much more influential factors in terms of public trust,” he said.
I agree with you to a certain level. But the main point is they should not have been recipients of the .Pfizer vaccine, or any other vaccine to begin with. Their older bodies just can’t take the smash impact. Why did the Norwegian health authorities even bother? Were they just guinea pigs? Will it happen here in Australia? And as pointed out here and in other articles, vaccines do not and never will guarantee immunity.
“The residents were all aged over 75 and had either months or weeks to live. “
Seems a strange group to be giving the vaccine to. Perhaps so they might be immune from any family visitors who might want to see them in their last days. I would have thought they’d be in the excluded group otherwise.
Ok, nice article. But I do detect a few slight of hand coverup paragraphs and then at the end a deferral to conspiracy theorists. Hmmm.
“It may be a coincidence, but we aren’t sure,” he said. “There is no certain connection between these deaths and the vaccine.”
30 people received the v-ccine and they all died. But there’s no connection…yeah right. You can certainly rely on the BMJ for predictive programming.
“Just because you get vaccinated doesn’t mean all of the other reasons go away as to why you might die or get ill.”
Not sure what he mean’t there.But the MSM mantra regarding the Norway v-ccine dilemma is that they were all over 80 and very frail. Well, then don’t give it to them or otherwise it’s euthanasia by default. I could use another word but I won’t.
If you read the article properly, you would know. And no I do not think you do detect sleight of hand cover ups. As anyone with any grasp of the scientific method knows, correlation is not causation, rather it reflects the need for further investigation which is clearly happening.
As I have said elsewhere, none of the vaccines were trialled on such high risk patients, but with very few serious side effects reported you can see the point.
“Well, then don’t give it to them or otherwise it’s euthanasia by default.” That is exactly what relevant Norwegian authorities have said, reconsider vaccination in this category.
42,000 vaccinated. Probably skewed to the elderly and infirm to some extent. If that same group was studied without any vaccine, how many do you think would have died from other causes in that time?
Are you thinking zero? Is that what you think? It’s implied in your argument.
This is the difference between correlation and causation.
“If that same group was studied without any vaccine, how many do you think would have died from other causes in that time?”
From the beginning the same could be said for the covid registration figures.But…tick that covid box.