According to the government website, elderly people in hospitals and nursing homes have priority in the case of the COVID-19 vaccine in Norway. Most vaccinated people are elderly, often with serious underlying illnesses.
"We have to remember that most people living in nursing homes are seriously ill or in the last stage of their lives," says Bent Høie, Minister of Health and Welfare.
On average, more than 300 elderly people die each week in nursing homes in Norway.
The Norwegian Medicines Agency reports that 23 deaths have been reported among vaccinated elderly people in nursing homes. Deaths occurred within a week of vaccination.
Minister Bent Høie reassures
“Reported deaths include elderly, very fragile patients and end-of-life nursing home residents. There is no reason to be concerned about the safety of the vaccine, ”says Høie.
Norwegian Institute of Health The Public Health Institute (FHI) states that the fatal events among these very frail patients after vaccination do not indicate a causal relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and death. They cannot rule out that common side effects could have been more severe in some patients.
They are currently carrying out detailed analyzes
The Norwegian Medicines Agency and the National Institute of Public Health are currently carrying out detailed analyzes. So far, there are no statistical analyzes showing that vaccination against the coronavirus is associated with an increased risk of death among those vaccinated.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), in collaboration with regional medical information centers and pharmacovigilance centers (RELIS), processes reports of suspected side effects following vaccination against Covid-19 on behalf of the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
On monitoring side effects in Norway.
In Norway, health professionals and the public can report suspects side effects by electronic means. All reports, irrespective of their source, are registered in the same database, which gives the Norwegian Health Authority a quick and good overview of all reported incidents.
“It is important to emphasize that the number of reported side effects in Norway is low. Healthcare professionals are required to report serious or unexpected reactions which they suspect may be caused by the vaccine. The public can also submit alerts via the official health website. Helsenorge.no ”says Høie.
The Norwegian health authorities are also closely monitoring the side effects of coronavirus vaccines and other drugs that have been reported in other countries.
Source: regjeringen.no
