Several in Oslo say yes after vaccine riots – VG

– What we experienced on Friday and Saturday was that up to 50 percent rejected the vaccine at Easter, says Benedicte Varvik, deputy director of the vaccine center in the Nordre Aker district in Oslo.

A Nordre Aker vaccine worker posted a video on Facebook where she said she was upset that so many from the district refused to go to the cabin, prompting strong reactions in other parts of the country. The case was first reported by NRK.

On Sunday, Budstikka also reported that the municipality of Bærum had to postpone around 1000 vaccination agreements because the inhabitants wanted to go on Easter holidays. Later, the municipality clarified that they can still use their assigned vaccinations during the week.

– There were a number of press releases this weekend, and today fortunately we experience that there are some who have turned around and say yes anyway, says Varvik.

– Many regretted having rejected the vaccine because they were on Easter holidays and now they are calling again, he says.

In addition, the vaccine center experiences that many more of the people who are asked for the first time agree to be vaccinated, even though it is Easter.

– Even though they are in the booth, they inform that they will introduce themselves, says Varvik satisfied.

Few say not in other parts of the city

In the districts that have requested VG, it varies how many have refused to be vaccinated at Easter.

– This is not a problem we are facing. We fully vaccinate both on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the second day of Easter, Søndre Nordstrand district chief physician Anne Stine Garnes informs VG.

Andreas M. Behring, Stovner’s deputy district director, also says they don’t have a specific number of how many have said no, but says it’s not a problem in the district. Stovner has the highest contagion pressure in the capital, with 1,566.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The same applies to the districts of Alna, Grorud, Frogner and Grünerløkka, with which VG has also been in contact.

However, the Bjerke district has experienced that around 50 to 60 percent refuse to be vaccinated during Easter, confirms press contact Sebastian Bergedahl Vernang. Dagbladet was the first to cover the case.

District director Tore Olsen Pran also says that around 35 percent refuse to get vaccinated in Old Oslo, based on what the vaccine center experiences.

– I understand so that this is mainly related to the Easter holidays and that they are waiting, he says.

The district’s chief physician, Tanja Tomasevic from Nordstrand, says they have had several cases where they have been asked to postpone vaccination due to the Easter holidays.

– This is estimated to apply to every five telephone inquiries we receive. This has meant that we have reprioritized employees so that we can make enough vaccination agreements to use all the doses that we have received.

Lose your best chance

The deputy director of the vaccination center in Norde Aker says it is unclear when the next vaccination opportunity will come for those who said no at Easter.

– We do not know everything about future vaccine intake, so if you say no, it is very difficult to say when you are asked to get the vaccine again, says Benedicte Varvik.

Therefore, it is not certain that those who say they will not be called the following week, according to the vice president.

Now he expects positive support for vaccination in the future, as it leads to less work for employees in the health system when fewer people say no.

– If you say no, you basically say no to the class you have been offered, says Varvik.