Over the past weekend, various media sources such as U.S.News and World Report reported that 13 people had died in Norway and their deaths were attributed to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
But Dr. Hoa Nguyen, of the governor’s Physicians Advisory Group, says there’s no reason to fear.
The speed at which the coronavirus vaccines were developed has caused some to view them with suspicion.
And when word came out of Norway that 13 people had apparently died from the Pfizer vaccine, it seemed that their worst fears had at least some validation.
But Dr. Nguyen says there’s no reason to worry.
The deaths in Norway occurred in a nursing home, among a population that is significantly more fragile than the average person.
“Part of it is..we give millions and millions..this is the most vaccinated vaccine in the world at the current point. So you will expect some side effects. We all know that. But I think that those are very rare cases of the most fragile patients of all. So it’s not going to be the same as the majority of the population that will get vaccinated,” Dr. Nguyen said.
Even among young and healthy people, the coronavirus vaccine will cause side effects such as fever and diarrhea.
Dr. Nguyen said of the people who died in Norway, the evidence suggests that they were so old and sick that even the relatively mild side effects of the vaccine proved to be fatal.
According to the various news reports on the matter, Norway has since adjusted its guidance on giving the vaccine to people of advanced age and those who also have other risk factors.
Dr. Nguyen says Guam follows CDC guidance on how to administer the vaccine and already screens for such risk factors.
“So I would like to reassure the people that the vaccine is safe. It has very minor side effects and we are taking all the necessary precautions to ask for any type of comorbidities and that’s what the pre-vaccination registration form is all about. To make sure that you don’t have a risk of any allergies or possible allergies to the vaccine. I would reassure our people that hey, the vaccine is very safe,” Dr. Nguyen said.
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