23 Elderly Die After Getting Pfizer Shots, Norway Says Vaccine May Be Too Risky For Old People

After the news broke that 23 elderly patients died in Norway soon after their immunization with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine against Covid-19, the country has launched a detailed investigation into the reported fatalities that has shocked the world.

Doctors in Norway have been asked to conduct more thorough evaluations of very frail elderly patients in line to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, following the reported deaths, the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) reported late Friday.

Reuters

Vaccine maybe too risky for old, terminally ill

Meanwhile, Norway has said that Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old and terminally ill, the most cautious statement yet from a European health authority as countries assess the real-world side effects of the first shots to gain approval.

Of those 23 deaths, 13 have been autopsied, with the results suggesting that common side effects may have contributed to severe reactions in frail, elderly people, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.

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Two Covid-19 vaccines, Comirnaty, from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, are being used in Norway. Though both Covid-19 vaccines approved so far in Europe were tested in tens of thousands of people -- including volunteers in their late 80s and 90s -- the average trial participant was in his or her early 50s. The first people to be immunized in many places have been older than that as countries rush to inoculate nursing-home residents at high risk from the virus.

"For those with the most severe frailty, even relatively mild vaccine side effects can have serious consequences," the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said. "For those who have a very short remaining life span anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant."

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Norway warns its people against risks

The recommendation does not mean younger, healthier people should avoid being vaccinated. But it's an early indication of what to watch as countries begin to issue safety monitoring reports on the vaccines. Emer Cooke, the new head of the European Medicines Agency, has said tracking the safety of Covid vaccines, especially those relying on novel technologies such as messenger RNA, would be one of the biggest challenges once shots are rolled out widely.

In a statement, Pfizer said: "Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of reported deaths following administration of BNT162b2. We are working with NOMA to gather all the relevant information.

AP

"All reported deaths will be thoroughly evaluated by NOMA to determine if these incidents are related to the vaccine. The Norwegian government will also consider adjusting their vaccination instructions to take the patients' health into more consideration."

More than 20,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered over the past few weeks in Norway and around 400 deaths normally occur among care home residents every week, reports the BMJ. The Paul Ehrlich Institute in Germany is also investigating 10 deaths shortly after Covid-19 vaccination.