Why do some folks think that 23 people in Norway died after getting their COVID-19 vaccinations?
The usual suspects…
Did 23 People Die in Norway After Getting COVID-19 Vaccinations?
While there have been some deaths after COVID-19 vaccinations in Norway, they have not been unexpected.
“In Norway we are now vaccinating the elderly and people in nursing homes with serious underlying diseases, therefore it is expected that deaths close to the time vaccination may occur. In Norway, an average of 400 people die each week in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.”
Covid-19 vaccination associated with adverse drug reactions in elderly people who are frail
And that’s because they have occurred in elderly patients with severe underlying disease.
“The reports suggest that common adverse reactions to mRNA vaccines, such as fever and nausea, may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients, says Sigurd Hortemo, chief physician at the Norwegian Medicines Agency.”
Covid-19 vaccination associated with adverse drug reactions in elderly people who are frail
So may not have actually have been caused by the COVID-19 vaccines…
“In Norway we have a “reporting culture” for vaccines ADRs where the normal procedure is to
Weekly report on suspected adverse drug reactions to coronavirus vaccines
report all suspected adverse reactions for new vaccines. Healthcare professionals have a low
threshold for reporting possible adverse reactions, even when the causal relationships
appears very unclear.”
Still, the timeline is suspicious enough, that the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has updated their COVID-19 vaccination guide with more detailed advice on vaccinating the elderly who are frail.
“It is the attending physician who, after an overall assessment and in consultation with the patient and any relatives, must decide whether the individual patient should be advised to take the vaccine.
Two factors must be included in this assessment. One is what life prospects the patient has, as many in nursing homes have short life prospects. The second is that for some of the most frail elderly, common side effects after vaccination – such as fever, malaise and poor appetite, can trigger a more serious course of the disease.”
Use of mRNA vaccines in the elderly
Therefore, while they will continue to vaccinate the majority of elderly folks in Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has provided some new advice in their Vaccination Guide:
“For the vast majority of people who are elderly and living with frailty, any side effects of the vaccine will more than be offset by a reduced risk of becoming seriously ill from covid-19. For those with the most serious frailty, however, even relatively mild vaccine side effects can have serious consequences. For those who have a very short remaining life, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant. Therefore, for very frail patients (eg equivalent to Clinical Frailty Scale 8 or higher) and terminally ill patients, a careful weighing of benefit versus disadvantage of vaccination is recommended.“
Use of mRNA vaccines in the elderly
They are saying to consider the risks and benefits, understanding that the risk/benefit analysis might be different if you are relatively healthy vs being terminally ill.
Also understand that it’s not that the risk of the getting sick with COVID-19 outweighs the risk of getting vaccinated, but rather that because there could be extra risk from the vaccine in these patients, it might be worth the risk of skipping the vaccine and hoping that you just don’t get sick with COVID-19.
And despite what some folks are reporting, health officials in Norway are not saying that the elderly should not be vaccinated, nor have they reported that the average number of people who die each week in nursing homes and long-term care facilities has increased since the COVID-19 vaccination program began.
More on COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths
- Deaths Following COVID-19 Vaccination – Understanding Background Rates
- Shaking and Seizures As a Vaccine Reaction
- Have Thousands Been Negatively Affected After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine?
- COVID-19 VAERS Reports
- The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines
- Fainting After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
- Are the Risks Greater Than the Benefits for Any Vaccines?
- Covid-19 vaccination associated with adverse drug reactions in elderly people who are frail
- Weekly report on suspected adverse drug reactions to coronavirus vaccines
- Use of mRNA vaccines in the elderly
- Norway adjusts advice after vaccine deaths but isn’t alarmed
- Fact check: Quote about COVID-19 vaccine in care homes taken out of context
- Bell’s palsy, syncope, and death: The impending antivax tsunami of fake COVID-19 vaccine “adverse reactions”
- Dr Gregory Michael dies after COVID-19 vaccine – what are the facts?
- Influenza vaccination for terminally ill cancer patients receiving palliative care: a preliminary report
- Covid vaccine: Terminally ill man campaigns to make the vaccine a priority for those in palliative care
Last Updated on January 16, 2021