Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government immediately sought more information.
“I have been in contact with the Australian medical regulator, the TGA, this morning, and requested that they seek additional information, both from the company, but also from the Norwegian medical regulator,” he said.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne will also task the Department of Foreign affairs to seek advice directly from the Norwegian government, Minister Hunt said, and he has also briefed the Acting Prime Minister and the prime minister’s office this morning.
“As further information is available, we’ll share that with the Australian public,” he said.
The health minister said so far results from the US on their rollout of the Pfizer vaccine have been “heartening”.
The US Centres for Disease Control has reviewed roughly 1.8 million doses of that vaccine, with “very positive results in terms of both the safety and the efficacy,” Minister Hunt said.
The minister reiterated that safety was the Australian medical regulator’s number one priority.
“So we’ll continue to follow the processes of the medical regulator, because that’s going to keep Australians safe and ultimately provide confidence,” he said.
