Norway has issued a precautionary document for the elderly and terminally ill who are given the coronavirus vaccine after 23 people died in the countries shortly after receiving the vaccine.
“For those with more severe fragility, even the relatively mild side effects of the vaccine can have serious consequences,” warned the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. “For those with a very short shelf life, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant.”
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Of the 23 deaths, 13 have been autopsied, where it was revealed that common side effects may have contributed to reactions in vulnerable and elderly people, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
The warning, Norwegian officials said, does not mean the elderly or the younger generation should avoid the vaccine. It is just expressing concern and sounding a warning sound for sick and vulnerable people to be careful while vaccinating against the deadly virus.
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Early investigations revealed that nearly three-quarters of those affected were over 80, according to the regulator in its report.
Vaccine manufacturers, FPfizer-BioNtech, are working with the Norwegian regulator to investigate the deaths and have stated that “the number of incidents so far is not alarming and is in line with expectations.”
To date, Norway has administered the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine to about 33,000 people, with priority for health workers, the elderly and the vulnerable. So far, most people have been given the Pfizer vaccine and some others with the similar dose of Moderna.