Norwegian experts call on authorities to permanently withdraw Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines

An expert committee set up by the Norwegian government in order to analyze the anti-covid vaccines produced by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson determined on Monday, May 10th, that it was appropriate for the country to discontinue the usage of these serums because of the risk of developing rare, but serious, side effects.

“We do not recommend the use of vaccines based on viral vector technology in the national immunization program,” said committee leader Lars Vorland, presenting his report to the Health Minister Bent Høie.

“We reached this decision because of serious side effects” observed in a small percentage of people who have received one of these vaccines, the doctor added. The experts note that they can be given voluntarily. Bent Høie has not yet communicated the government’s position.

The use of the anti-covid vaccine produced by AstraZeneca has been suspended in Norway since March 11. On April 15, when Norwegian health authorities recommended excluding the British-Swedish serum from the vaccination campaign, the government chose to delay the decision by setting up an expert committee to examine the risks associated with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which use the same technology.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the continued use of the two vaccines, considering that their benefits outweigh the risks. “If we decide to discontinue these vaccines permanently, the doses will not be wasted. They will be donated to other countries,” Bent Høie said. Oslo has already “loaned” 216,000 doses to Sweden and Iceland, which continue to use the AstraZeneca serum.

Five cases of severe thrombosis

134,000 AstraZeneca doses have been administered by mid-March in Norway. Five cases of severe thrombosis, including three deaths, have been reported in relatively young and healthy people. One other person died of a brain hemorrhage.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has not yet been used, but rare cases of thrombosis have been reported in the United States after its use. Therefore, the Norwegian immunization program will probably only include the two messenger RNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna).

“We have enough messenger RNA vaccines,” said Camilla Stoltenberg, director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI).

So far, Denmark is the only country in Europe to have officially phased out AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

yogaesoteric
June 19, 2021

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