Yesterday, news reported on the situation at emergency departments in several Norwegian hospitals. Several alerts about an increased influx of patients, and the capacity has been put to the test. Leader of the Association for Emergency and Reception Medicine, Jørn Einar Rasmussen, described the situation as disturbing and inexplicable. The news has caused many to speculate whether the corona vaccine could be the cause of so many falling ill this year. Both on social media and in messages to news, many doubt whether the vaccine is actually safe. There is little reason for that, according to assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad. Acquitting the vaccine – We have had a 4 per cent increase in emergency admissions this year, compared to 2019. This is unevenly distributed. In Northern Norway and Central Norway there is almost no increase. If the vaccine was the explanation, we would see an increase across the country, says Nakstad. He explains the increased flow of patients with changes in the population. – This probably has the biggest connection with the fact that we have become more people. Population growth has been greatest in South-Eastern Norway. We also see the most admissions there. In addition, more and more of us are getting older, says Nakstad. – Unintended side effects of the corona vaccine have been discovered. Can the vaccine be fully acquitted in this context? – The vaccines are monitored through a notification system in all countries, and possible side effects are monitored very closely. So far, no excess mortality has been recorded, but we have seen some mild side effects which were expected. This will be monitored for several years to come, says Nakstad. High mortality is probably due to corona Figures from Statistics Norway show a dramatic increase in mortality in Norway in 2022. So far this year, 3,250 more deaths have been registered than in the same period in 2019, which gives an excess mortality of over 10 percent. This also has a natural explanation, believes Nakstad. – In total, over 4,000 corona deaths have been registered in Norway. Many of these have arrived this year, and that will have an impact on mortality. According to Nakstad, there was an under-mortality during parts of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. – Those who have not yet been affected by the pandemic have become older, and are thus more exposed, he says. Figures from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health show that 4,208 people have so far lost their lives as a result of the coronavirus. Most people who die are over 80, and 60 per cent live in nursing homes.
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– The corona vaccine is not the cause, says Espen Nakstad in the Directorate of Health – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
