All people in Denmark over the age of 50 will be offered a fourth vaccine against coronavirus, said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a press conference on Wednesday.
Certain vulnerable groups, such as nursing home residents and senior citizens, will be offered the fourth plug as early as mid-September. All remaining Danes over 50 will be eligible from 1 October.
People at risk under the age of 50, such as people with weakened immune systems, may also be eligible to receive the booster at the discretion of a general practitioner or physician. Some may receive their next dose as early as next week.
Infections increasing
The decision to intensify vaccination efforts is made in response to the increasing prevalence of the BA.5 variant, which has led some epidemiologists to predict that the infection rate will increase by the autumn.
โWe have a new variant that is spreading rapidly in Europe and Denmark. The health authorities assess that BA.5 is more contagious than the Omicron variant we have had, โsaid the Prime Minister.
No reason for panic
While calling for caution, experts stress that there is no reason for alarm.
– The variant does not seem to make us sicker, and the vaccines protect well against serious illness and hospitalization, says Henrik Ullum, head of the Statens Serum Institut.
“At the same time, it seems that those who have been infected with the Omicron variant in the past have good protection against infection.”
The parties agree
Prime Minister Frederiksen’s vaccination strategy has received broad support, and the governing parties have largely agreed on the need to have contingency plans in place for the management of the virus.
“We need a vaccination plan,” said Left-wing MP Martin Geertsen TV2.
“We simply can not have that we again experience that children can not come to school, and restaurants must close at 22.00. It simply has to be managed. โ
Source: The Nordic Page