Norway: Deaths After Virus Jab May Be from Side Effects

Norway links 13 deaths to Pfizer vaccine's side effects, 29 have allergic reactions.

Norway has so far given at least one dose to about 33,000 people, focusing on those considered to be most at risk if they contract the virus, including the elderly.

Norway says there are risks that Covid-19 vaccinations may be too risky for the very old and terminally sick, after 23 people died within a short time of receiving their first shot.

At least 23 people who received the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. firm Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech have died in Norway, with 13 of the fatalities linked to the vaccine's side effects, authorities said Thursday.

All 13 individuals were above the age of 80, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.

It noted that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine's common side effects, such as fever and nausea, could have contributed to the death of some elderly recipients of the shot.

Along with the 13 deaths, nine cases of serious side effects and seven instances of less serious side effects have been recorded, the agency's medical director, Steinar Madsen, told national broadcaster NRK.

Norway launched its vaccination campaign last month, right after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Norway has so far given at least one dose to about 33,000 people, focusing on those considered to be most at risk if they contract the virus, including the elderly. Most of the shots given are from BioNTec/Pfizer, with the Moderna vaccine now also being administered.

The latest figures show Norway's virus caseload currently stands at 57,736, including 511 fatalities.

January 15, 2021