– Solberg should have been on the same plane – VG

Listhaug, who has been appointed by Siv Jensen as the new FRP leader, calls on both the Prime Minister and Health Minister Bent Høie (H) to join the fight to secure Norwegian vaccines as soon as possible.

– Now is the time for Bent Høie to wake up and join a partnership with Israel. They have very good results with vaccinating the population and I am sure that Norway will greatly benefit from cooperation with them both in the short and long term, she says.

– I know that the government has an overwhelming task in the fight against corona infection, but the Norwegian people have now tried so hard that the government must do everything possible to get more vaccines, continues the deputy leader of FRP.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz will discuss whether it is possible for Denmark and Austria to buy doses of vaccines from Israel in the short term and enter into long-term collaboration on vaccine research and production.

Mette Frederiksen was clear to Danish TV2 that she is on a vaccine cruise:

– All countries that have plenty of vaccines, we would like to buy them, he said, emphasizing that he has already given the same message to his Israeli colleague.

Believe that the government should try everything

Listhaug says that a collaboration with Israel, which is the world leader in vaccination against covid this year, should have two horizons.

– The first, of course, is to connect in the short term, to verify the opportunities to obtain more doses of vaccine to finally accelerate vaccination in Norway, says Listhaug.

It’s because the Norwegians deserve it, he continues:

– The Norwegian people have now tried so hard that the government must do everything possible to get more vaccines.

The government sticks to the plan

Health Minister Bent Høie says a trip to Israel is not relevant:

– The approved vaccines that may be on sale now are vaccines that will not be produced until Norway has finished vaccinating the adult population: we have already signed agreements that mean we can vaccinate the adult population three times, he writes in an email . to VG.

Norway, like Denmark, and the rest of the EU want to vaccinate the population as soon as possible. It is not the case that countries have now approved vaccines that they themselves do not need and are therefore available for Norway.

He adds that Høie has agreed to all extensions to the industry’s vaccine agreements that have been possible and available.

Listhaug says the second goal of a contact with Israel is a collaboration that can secure future vaccines.

– Of course, I hope that the vaccine can stop the covid-19, but it is not unlikely that it could take longer: that we have more mutations, which means that the virus will be in our society for years. Then there will be a need for vaccination for years.

– Should we try to get vaccines from China and Russia?

– No, we believe that Israel is the natural country to contact.

Build your own factories

Listhaug says such collaboration should also be aimed at building its own vaccine industry for future pandemics.

He fears that Norway will miss the opportunity to secure its own supply in the future.

– Because the government does not take the initiative and only trusts the agreements with the EU. There has been no political action in this area in the last year, he says.

Listhaug says Norway should have vaccine production that can be increased during crises.

– We must aspire for our country to be self-sufficient in the most important medical products.

The seas: High silence on calls for vaccinations

She says there are several Norwegian players who are willing to invest in production capacity in Norway, which can produce corona vaccines under license from pharmaceutical companies.

– Then we will be able to produce enough vaccines to cover the need in Norway, and at the same time there will be capacity to export to other countries.

She says that in a new FRP program, they propose that Norway be self-sufficient in the most important drugs and medicines.

– If we cannot get the government to do this, we will present a proposal at the Storting, says Listhaug.

Pharmaceutical Industry: Realistic

Karita Bekkemellem, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Industry (LMI), which organizes pharmaceutical companies, welcomes the initiative.

– Norway has a unique opportunity to produce vaccines in the future, says the former Labor Minister.

– Isn’t it very unrealistic and expensive?

– No, it’s actually very realistic. The Storting has given guidelines for it to become a major Norwegian industry and Norwegian capital and Norwegian companies are ready.

– What do you need?

– We must implement new forms of agreements that provide companies with safe delivery to the market. The authorities should then contribute public support schemes, giving management signals that Innovation Norway and others will provide support.

She adds:

– LO, NHO, LMI and other strong forces started a collaboration this fall, through a report, where the goal is to increase the production of Norwegian vaccines.

She says that for this to be possible, the state must enter into
long-term pre-purchase agreements with companies willing to invest in the creation of a Norwegian production of major medicines. Both Denmark and Austria have said they are considering domestic vaccine production.

The signing of long-term agreements with Norwegian manufacturers will give the Norwegian pharmaceutical industry predictability and facilitate further innovation.