Fact check: Vaccine production was not halted due to deaths caused by COVID vaccines

A video that covers a range of conspiracies regarding COVID-19 vaccines is being shared on social media. The video includes the false suggestion that the vaccine manufacturer Pfizer shut down production because of deaths among vaccine recipients. There are other claims and opinions in the video that are outside the scope of this check.

The video (here) features a man speaking to camera who says: “Pfizer, who are responsible for the 23, which is now 30 deaths, in Norway, of the snake oil are halting production. Now, if you are conspiracy-minded like me, you would say it’s because of the massive amounts of deaths. (Timestamp 0.20)

Reuters has already addressed claims that the Pfizer vaccine, which is used in Norway (here) has caused deaths among elderly recipients in the country (here). Norway is vaccinating residents of care homes, including those with serious underlying diseases. On average, 400 people die each week in nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Norway and the deaths of 13 patients who had received the vaccine that have so far been assessed by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health did not give health authorities evidence to show vaccines were to blame.

The Norwegian fact checker Faktisk has published further information, including an update on the number of deaths reported to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (here).

Pfizer did announce on January 15 that, as part of a plan to increase production, its facility in Puurs, Belgium, would deliver fewer doses the following week. Pfizer said in an email to Reuters that production would be “back to the original schedule of deliveries to the European Union beginning the week of January 25, with increased delivery beginning week of February 15” and it would be able to “deliver the fully committed quantity of vaccine doses in the first quarter and significantly more in the second quarter.” It also said that there had been no delays in the U.S. production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

VERDICT

False. Deaths in vaccinated people in Norway have not been found to be caused by the vaccine Pfizer did slow production in Belgium for a week, but this was so that production could be ramped up in February and production in America was unaffected.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .

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