Canadian Province Changes Definition of Serious Adverse Reaction to COVID-19 Vax: Cases Go Down

The health agency of the Canadian province of New Brunswick modified how they define "serious" reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. By embracing the new definition, the number of serious reactions has been cut in half.
According to Sean Hatchard, a spokesperson for the provincial Department of Health, they have reported 154 serious adverse events following immunization reported over 32 months ending this past summer, reports CBC. This adjustment to the definition of such events makes serious incidents associated with COVID-19 vaccines an even rarer event. This means one serious incident per 13,550 COVID-19 vaccinations administered in New Brunswick between Dec. 14, 2020, and Aug. 26, 2023 &mdash; a marked reduction than previously. The New Brunswick Department of Health also reported 313 &ldquo;seriously and medically important&rdquo; reactions before the change.