This past Tuesday marked a grim milestone for Australians – 12 months since health authorities here first announced a mystery virus.
One year on, the world continues to struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic – but there is now hope for the future with a number of vaccines being rolled out overseas.
However, there were concerns this week after news that 29 Norwegian aged care residents died shortly after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The reports would be a worry for the many families with loved ones in residential care, who will be among the first to be vaccinated when the Federal Government begins making its pipeline of COVID vaccines available.
But Australian health officials have moved to ease people’s minds.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said they were liaising with Norwegian authorities but noted that sadly 400 people die every week in Norway’s aged care facilities – giving hope the vaccine wasn’t the cause of the deaths.
Health officials say they will now wait for the outcome of an investigation but are optimistic the vaccine will be cleared for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) once it’s proven safe and effective.
Other vaccine options available for older people
It’s also being reported the Pfizer vaccine could receive that approval and start rolling out across Australia as early as February, followed shortly after by the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Infectious disease expert Professor Sanjaya Senanayake told ABC News the AstraZeneca vaccine would provide an alternative if Pfizer was proven to have adverse impacts on people over 85.
“If they find no association whatsoever, then there would be no need for that, but if they have some concern, then yes that would be something we would have to consider,” Professor Senanayake said.
Professor Senanayake said the UK, Israel and the US – where large numbers of aged care residents have already been vaccinated – hadn’t reported similar incidents, seeming to indicate the Norway deaths were the result of chronic medical conditions and not the vaccine.
Either way, Australians can be reassured that the Government will provide support and advice on how our most vulnerable can be safely vaccinated when the time comes.
