The AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines should not be used in the corona vaccination program, the government’s expert committee on virus vector vaccines recommended on Monday.
The committee, led by Lars Vorland, handed over its recommendation to the Norwegian government on Monday.
“I will not go into the reason because it is already well known. This is, of course, due to the very serious side effects,” Vorland said.
The recommendation not to include the vaccines in the vaccination program is based on the infection situation in Norway.
“Changed infection pressure, new virus mutants, unforeseen problems with vaccine deliveries, and any new information about side effects could lead to other conclusions,” the recommendation states.
Norway has not yet used the Janssen vaccine approved in the EU and Norway on March 11.
The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was stopped in Norway on March 11 after reports of cases of blood clots in vaccinated people.
Use outside of the vaccination program
However, the Vorland committee recommends using the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines outside the vaccination program.
Committee leader Lars Vorland has previously confirmed to newspaper VG that it has been difficult to decide whether the AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines should be made available to those who voluntarily wish to take them if they are removed from the vaccination program.
FHI: Janssen’s corona vaccine shouldn’t be used in Norway
After further investigations, the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) has decided it would recommend the removal of the Janssen vaccine from Norway’s vaccination program.
Last month, health authorities decided to wait until further investigations of side effects had been carried out before deciding on the use of the vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine was given the green light in the EU and Norway on March 11, but Norway has not yet used the vaccine in its vaccination program.
The FHI has previously recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine be removed from the vaccination program. The vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are currently in use in Norway.
Høie: Great job
On Monday, Health Minister Bent Høie received the report from the expert committee that has assessed the use of the two vaccines in Norway.
“The committee has done a great and good job in a short time. The government will now thoroughly review the report and use it as a basis for decisions, together with the National Institute of Public Health’s recommendation, to take a position on the use of these vaccines,” Høie said when he received the report.
The Minister emphasizes that Norway is now receiving more deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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