In an attempt to justify the government’s choice of Sinovac vaccine, President Rodrigo Duterte cited the death of at least 20 elderly persons who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in Norway.
“Ayan ’yung sa Pfizer, gusto ninyong Pfizer, kayong mga senador, in Norway, 25 persons died after receiving Pfizer vaccination,” he said. “Gusto ninyo? Mag-order kami para sa inyo. Iyon ang gusto ninyo paulit-ulit nandito sa article ng Inquirer.”
It should be noted that, at the moment, it’s unclear if the deaths in Norway are linked to the vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech have been working with Norwegian health officials to gather more information about the matter.
“NOMA (Norwegian Medicines Agency) confirmed the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and in line with expectations,” Pfizer-BioNTech said in a statement. It has also changed the use of the vaccine to exclude the terminally ill.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, added that the deaths have to be put into context where they happened: a nursing home with frail individuals.
“It is conceivable that when you have a very frail individual, such as many who are in nursing homes, that even that amount of stress to them could put them over the top,” Fauci explained.
A number of senators have urged the government to prioritize negotiations with Pfizer-BioNTech due to its 95 percent efficacy.
As of writing, Pfizer-BioNTech has been granted an emergency use authorization in the country. The Food and Drug Administration, however, noted that it will be waiting for the manufacturer’s report on the Norway deaths.