‘Proceeding with caution’: Aussie Covid jab plan going ahead after Norway deaths

Health Minister Greg Hunt has urged Australians not to worry after reports up to 30 elderly people in Norway have died after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.

Speaking to the press on Sunday, Hunt said he had spoken to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and asked it to seek additional information both from the company Pfizer and the Norwegian medical regulators. He added that Australia is “proceeding with an abundance of caution” with the approval process of the new vaccine, which is expected to roll out across the country from early March.

“We don’t know yet whether this is a function simply of age and people who are older and sadly facing the natural loss of their life or whether there’s any causation that hasn’t been asserted as yet,” Hunt said.

“We’re proceeding with an abundance of caution. So there’s no change in our timeframes at this point, but the medical regulator is completely empowered, completely empowered, to make independent decisions.”

Hunt also highlighted “a heartening report” from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which had reviewed approximately 1.8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine “with very positive results in terms of both the safety and the efficacy”.

“Safety is Australia’s number one priority, and so we’ll continue to follow the processes of the medical regulator, because that’s going to keep Australians safe and ultimately provide confidence,” Hunt said.

Meanwhile, Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA), said that the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine will continue despite deaths in elderly Norwegian patients, ABC News reports.

“But we have made some adjustment, what to tell the doctors to look out for,” he said. “All these patients are nursing home patients — if there is a very short expected life span, if they are terminally ill, you should consider not vaccinating them.”

Pfizer also released a statement, saying: “Norwegian Authorities have prioritised the immunisation of residents in nursing homes, most of whom are very elderly with underlying medical conditions and some which are terminally ill,” the statement read. “NOMA confirm the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and in line with expectations.”

Australia has secured 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which is one of four supported by the Federal Government.

Under the Australian Government’s current vaccine roll-out plan, over-70s will be one of the first groups to get the jab when it becomes available. However, it’s not clear whether this will change now that 30 elderly people from Norway died after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.

Weighing in on the matter, Hunt said: “At this point there’s no change, but we’ll follow the medical regulator’s advice.”

Other Aussies who will also be among the first to receive the vaccine include those with pre-exisiting medical conditions, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, aged care workers, prisoners, other detention inmates and guards, emergency services providers, defence force personnel and public health staff.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.