– Not a reaction to the vaccine – VG

Before the weekend, FHI was ready in its message to young people who have been vaccinated: – My strong encouragement is that everyone must take the chance this summer and say “yes” to the offer of vaccine, said FHI director Camilla Stoltenberg to VG on Saturday.

At the same time, a number of media write that young people faint more easily after taking the vaccine. Among others NRK has discussed the phenomenon.

Municipal chief physician in Kristiansund, Askill Sandvik, confirms the trend to VG.

– We have had a number of cases. It was special at the vaccination last week, says the municipal chief to VG and emphasizes:

– It has been mainly younger people, but it is also spread in all age groups. It has not only been younger.

According to the municipal chief physician, almost 1,000 people in Kristiansand were vaccinated during the previous mass vaccination. There must have been many from younger age groups in the pool. At least ten people must have fainted, Sandvik states.

– Not a reaction to the vaccine

Sandvik believes there may be several reasons why people faint after taking the vaccine. He cites face masks, warm vaccination rooms and stress as potential causes.

– I think stress can be the triggering cause. There can be a lot of excitement associated with the corona vaccine, he says. The municipal supervisor also believes that the recent heat can play a role.

– It tends not to be so hot in the North-West, but now it has been hot, he adds.

According to the municipal chief, it is not dangerous to faint after the injection, nor is it a direct side effect of the substances in the corona vaccine.

– It is not a question of a side effect, and it is not dangerous. It is not a reaction to the vaccine, it is a reaction to the surrounding conditions, says Sandvik.

Everyone who faints “recovers”, says the municipal chief. He emphasizes that they have a good plan for such situations in the vaccine premises.

– It is important that we handle the best possible and have the best possible plan in relation to logistics, stretcher capacity and the least possible exposure of the person in question. It is not dangerous as long as you fight, he says and emphasizes that it is important to separate the phenomenon from more serious side effects of vaccination.

– Not unusual

Assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad writes in a text message to VG that it is not uncommon to faint after inserting a syringe.

– It is not uncommon for someone to become unwell or faint when they receive injections or take a blood sample. Sometimes the sight of the syringe may be enough. It is usually due to a “vasovagal syncope” caused by a slower heartbeat (bradycardia) and a drop in blood pressure due to increased activity in the vagus nerve (the tenth cerebral nerve). This is the reason why you should always sit down when you get a vaccine. If you are anxious about syringes, you may want to try to think of something else and not look at the syringe when it is inserted into the arm, Nakstad writes to VG.

Nakstad emphasizes that immediate fainting from syringe stings is not due to side effects of the vaccine.

– Some very few will, however, be able to react with a strong reaction after a few minutes, then they will in most cases be a so-called anaphylactic reaction that requires treatment with adrenaline. There are reports of a few dozen such cases in Norway according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency. This is the reason why you should be routinely observed for 20 minutes after receiving the vaccine, regardless of which vaccine it is, Nakstad writes.

Lower response rate

In June, VG wrote about Alta municipality, which saw itself forced to come up with a call for the 2003 litter. “Many of you do not have a telephone number registered in your own name and it is therefore difficult to get in touch with you”, wrote the municipality at the time.

Also in Kristiansund, there have been challenges related to getting answers from young people who receive a vaccine report from the municipality.

– We see that when we get over to the younger group, about a third respond immediately. Half respond after two, three days, but then there are many who do not last. This is new, says Sandvik and points out that the older age groups respond faster.

– The response rate is lower among the younger ones, but it may be because it is summer vacation. We will get them eventually, he assures.

– We depend on as good vaccination coverage as possible in that group to limit the pandemic. These are young people with many contacts, says the municipal chief to VG.

Follow an overview of the vaccination rate in Norwegian municipalities in VGs corona special.

–