Four Deaths in Elderly Reported From 3 Countries During First Days of Vaccine Rollout, Authorities Urge Calm

In the first days of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, at least 4 deaths from heart attacks were reported in people between the ages of 75 and 91, in 3 countries.

These deaths all took place between 2 hours and five days after the Pfizer BioNTech mRNA Covid vaccine was administered; In all cases, they had co-morbidities.

In Kalmar, Sweden, an 85-year-old man with pre-existing conditions died of a heart attack on Dec 29, the day after receiving the shot.

In Israel, there were two deaths, one in a 75-year-old man from Beit She’an, who died of a heart attack two hours after vaccination. The second, an 88-year-old man, died in Jerusalem, also within 2 hours of vaccination.

In Lucerne, Switzerland, a 91-year-old man, a nursing home resident, died, 5 days after receiving the Pfizer BioNtech Covid vaccine.

Israeli media urged people not to assume the vaccines caused the deaths. In an article reporting on the two deaths, The Jerusalem Post highlighted a call for transparency from the vaccine manufacturers:

“In response to the report of those deaths, Israel’s Midaat Association said when vaccines are administered to at-risk populations, ‘there may be unfortunate cases. One should not infer from this about the safety of the vaccine, but welcome the transparency required from the pharma companies in the drug approval process.’”

The elderly, in nursing and care homes, were first in line to receive the vaccines, as they are considered most vulnerable.

Following the death of the man in Sweden, on Dec. 29, Swedish health authorities were interviewed by media outlets. In their comments, they neither dismissed nor confirmed that the man died as a result of the vaccination. They promised a full investigation, once autopsy results are complete.

The 85-year-old man’s death was reported to the Swedish Medical Products Agency, “Lakemedelsverket” as well as to the Federal Health Agency “Folkhalsomyndigheten,” which Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mattias Alvunger said was due to the timing—the death occurring so soon after the injection:

“It’s not up to us,” he was quoted in Swedish media, stressing it was a matter of protocol. “Considering all the worry about the safety of COVID vaccines, it’s all the more urgent that we are fully transparent, and follow established protocols.”

While urging people not to conclude vaccines are unsafe and to be avoided,  a representative of the pharmaceutical safety group Swedish Medical Products Agency, told Sverige’s Radio “I understand that people are worried,” calling their concern “completely normal and understandable.”

The EU Commission gave conditional marketing authorization to the Pfizer BioNTech mRNA vaccine named “Comirnaty,” on Dec. 19, 2020. Sweden’s Federal Health Agency Folkhalsomyndigheten, where Anders Tegnell is at the helm, states on its website that under no circumstances will COVID vaccines or any other vaccines ever be mandatory in Sweden.

Sweden will also not offer the vaccine to either pregnant women, or children younger than 17, unless doctors make specific requests in individual cases. After almost a year of resisting COVID lockdowns and masks, Swedish authorities are now suggesting very limited mask usage only during rush hour on some public transportation, following pressure from outside Sweden primarily.

Finland, meanwhile, announced a public fund to compensate any future victims of vaccine damage.

When Pfizer BioNTech presented safety data to the FDA in a briefing document on Dec. 10, the report stated: “The most frequently reported SAEs (Serious Adverse Events) were in the Cardiac Disorders SOC (0.1% in each treatment group).”

Israel has competing vaccines being rolled out.

As reports emerged of “underwhelming” results for the “Arcturus” Covid vaccine, The Jerusalem Post published an article titled: “Israel’s Hottest 2020 Status Symbol: A Pfizer Vaccine,” describing the lengths people go to get vaccinated immediately.

As of Dec. 30, Israel leads the world in vaccination rates, with 7.44 percent of the population already vaccinated. Only a month ago, The Jerusalem Post reported, half the country was opposed to the vaccine, but following campaigns of celebrities, politicians and famous writers getting the shot, the trepidation dissipated, and Israelis were described as being “in a frantic race to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.”