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DESPITE DOZENS OF deaths of people shortly after they were vaccinated against coronavirus, scientists say the evidence available so far does not incriminate the new anti-Covid vaccines.
Health agencies say the vast majority of post-vaccination fatalities were among people who were elderly, already vulnerable and often sick.
Norway sparked alarm last week when it reported the deaths of 33 of some 20,000 retirement home residents who had received a first shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
At least 13 of the fatalities were not only very elderly but also considered frail with serious ailments, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said.
While it noted that no analysis had yet been carried out on the causes of the deaths, it suggested that with the aged and vulnerable the normal side effects of vaccination such as fever or nausea could have contributed.
Outside Norway the news raised widespread concern and fed anti-vaccine scepticism, prompting the authorities to stress that no link had been established between the vaccine and post-jab deaths.
In France, of 800,000 people vaccinated, nine deaths of chronically ill residents of care and retirement homes were recorded by Friday.
The national medicines agency ANSM said, based on available evidence: “Nothing leads to the conclusion that the reported deaths were linked to vaccination.”
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Other examples include 13 deaths of elderly people recorded in Sweden and seven in Iceland, all with no link established.
In Portugal, a care worker died two days after being inoculated but the justice ministry said a post-mortem found no direct link.
France’s interior ministry on 18 January listed 71 “observations of death” in Europe of people who had the inoculation, but offered no further details.
Continued monitoring
The European Medicines Agency said that despite the deaths, “to date no specific concerns have been identified with Comirnaty”, the commercial name for the Pfizer shot.
The EMA noted that the authorities investigate fatalities to determine whether the vaccine was responsible.
National and European agencies check any problems with vaccinations reported by health professionals, pharmaceutical firms and patients themselves.
For the moment, the number and type of deaths among those vaccinated are not considered abnormal, with no cause-and-effect relationship identified.
In many countries — such as France, Norway, Britain and Spain — the frail and elderly are first in line for vaccinations.
“It is not unexpected that some of these people may naturally fall ill due to their age or underlying conditions shortly after being vaccinated, without the vaccine playing any role in that,” the UK medicines regulator MHRA said.
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Transparency, reassurance
The deaths are a highly sensitive issue, and approaches to informing the public vary.
France and some Nordic countries have reported post-vaccination deaths and detailed the potential side effects of the jabs even if no link has been established.
But Britain’s MHRA said it would make a statement at a later date, possibly seeking to avoid spreading alarm.
“We will publish details of all suspected reactions reported in association with approved Covid-19 vaccines, along with our assessment of the data on a regular basis in the future,” it said.
In any event, European health officials say the deaths do not call into question the safety of the vaccines.
Norway has not changed its vaccination rollout, even if it has recommended doctors consider the overall health of the most frail before giving them the jab, the policy of numerous other countries.
Globally, more than 60 million doses have been received in at least 64 countries or territories, according to an AFP tally yesterday.
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@artur filip: Exactly but it was covid in question and not the vaccine, then it would be death from covid end-of, even if old, frail, pre-existing conditions etc. Not anti-vax but just noting the double standards.
@Jedd Comiskey: makes no sense in any way, shape, or form. With the proportion of young people that develop serious symptoms so low what is the vaccine going to do for them
@Brian Clancy: Two things. The newer variants are causing more illness in younger age groups. Younger people are moving around more so vaccinating them will have a greater effect on the spread of the virus. Difficult to know which is the better approach.
@Critical Thinker: It kills the virus or the potential of the virus developing within the person who is vaccinated against it, here is a useful link that will explain it better for you:
@Dave McAuliffe: If we are all vaccinated it sharply lessens the chances of that happening, of course we must also continue to practise hand hygiene, use PPE etc. even after being vaccinated.
@Critical Thinker: that’s what they initially thought but there’s been a brandnew study which concluded it actually reduces risk of transmission, only read about it start of the week. Have no link unfortunately, but goofle it, should come up straight away..
Wait, you mean the stuff I was reading on the inter web about all the people dying from the vaccine isn’t true??? Next you will be telling me that this pandemic isn’t all a huge conspiracy to control humanity by big pharma and a couple of billionaires,, and ehh, a few million health car workers. Blah blah blah…
Every noticed how many experts say this and say that but they aren’t willing to risk putting their name behind it? Accountability and Transparency seem to be words missing from present day life. Stick your name behind your expertise, otherwise how can you be considered to be credible?
One can be hopeful that the vaccine will work while still having reservations about how new it is, and potential risks associated with the large roll out of a new and not fully tested drug. The notion that anyone with a concern about it is some sort of “antivax maniac” is wrong and should be addressed better.
The good news is that nobody will be forced to take it, each adult human will make a choice for themselves. Our body our choice, to echo a phrase that was doing the rounds a couple of years ago.
@Michael Creagh: Vaccines should never be mandatory. We all have autonomy when it comes to our bodies. That doesn’t change just because there’s a virus doing the rounds.
Sell or promote the vaccine on it’s merits and let people decide for themselves.
@Michael Creagh: no thanks. I decide what goes in my body, as should everyone. Our bodies our choices. Consult the Repael the 8th campaigners for more on this if it’s difficult for you.
Interesting how if you say that “the vast majority of virus deaths are people who are already old and vulnerable” you’re a horrible person. But if you say the same about the vaccine it’s grand.
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