Bent Høie received a report from the expert committee on AstraZeneka and Johnson & Johnson vaccines
On Monday, May 10, the Minister of Health and Welfare, Bent Høie, received a report by a committee of experts on the use of viral vector vaccines in Norway. The report recommends that AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines should not be used in Norway's Covid-19 immunization program. The Committee recommends that vaccines be made available outside the program, but is divided on the criteria on which such use should be based.
The government wanted a broader assessment that would include experiences with these vaccines from other countries
The government wanted a broader assessment that would include experiences with these vaccines from other countries and what it means to postpone vaccination in terms of the burden on the population and society as a whole. A committee of experts has therefore been set up to study the consequences of using or not using vector vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
A committee of experts has carried out a comprehensive risk assessment of vaccines containing viral vectors
- The Commission did an excellent and good job in a short time. The government will now thoroughly review the report and use it as a basis for decisions along with a recommendation from the National Institute of Public Health. This is necessary to take a position on the use of these vaccines, Høie said when he received the report.
A committee of experts, chaired by Lars Vorland, carried out a comprehensive risk assessment of viral vector vaccines, both at the individual and social level. The committee is made up of members from home and abroad and has assessed, among other things, international data on side effects and risks.
Vaccination of the population is an important factor in reopening society in Norway.
The use of AstraZeneca was temporarily suspended on March 11 this year when rare but very serious side effects were discovered. In April, the National Institute of Public Health recommended that this vaccine be withdrawn from the immunization program due to the risk of rare and very serious side effects. NIPH recommended this in light of the situation in Norway, the relatively low level of infection.
We receive more and more deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, a the research have shownthat we get very good protection after just three weeks
– Several have appeared recently good news about vaccines. We are receiving increasing supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and studies have shown that we receive very good protection just three weeks after the first dose of the vaccine. That's why we've extended the time interval between the first and second doses of the vaccine to vaccinate more people faster. All these factors make it less negative to rule out the use of viral vector vaccines, Høie says.
Bent Høie received the report of the expert committee on AstraZeneka and Johnson & Johnson vaccines
The Committee concludes that viral vector vaccines as a whole are effective vaccines against COVID-19
A committee of experts has carried out ethical and legal assessments, socio-economic analyzes, and health and social impact assessments. The Committee concludes that viral vector vaccines as a whole are effective vaccines against COVID-19. The recommendation not to include them in the immunization program stems from the infection situation in Norway. The Committee believes that it is not yet possible to establish who is at increased risk of serious side effects such as blood clots and low platelet counts, either before or after vaccination. There is also currently no effective treatment for serious side effects.
AstraZeneka and Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Expert Committee Report. They emphasize that a person is best able to assess risks, their own situation and the need to vaccinate themselves
The Committee is divided on the criteria that should be applied to the voluntary use of AstraZeneka and Johnson & Johnson vaccines outside of the immunization program. Most believe that the current infection situation in Norway indicates that offering these vaccines as an option will only be exceptionally justified. A minority of experts believe that AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson's vaccines can be offered by prescription to those who want it. They emphasize that people are best able to assess risks, their own situation and the need to get vaccinated a few weeks earlier.
