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COMPANION: Here comes the Ullevål vaccine car with police escort. Photo: MATTIS SANDBLAD
The vaccine doses were delivered to Ullevål hospital today: – I didn’t think it would be possible to have a vaccine ready so quickly, says Camilla Stoltenberg.
The case is being updated.
The vaccine car crossed the border shortly before 07:00 in Svinesund, escorted by another car. The car was taken to a garage at border customs, before it was allowed to drive into Oslo.
After 9 am, the car arrived at Ullevål hospital escorted by a police car.
The truck contains 9750 doses, which must be distributed seven municipalities in eastern Norway in space Christmas. The first plug is placed on Sunday.
The director of the National Institute of Public Health, Camilla Stoltenberg, tells VG it’s a great day.
– It is an exciting day and a milestone in the management of a pandemic in Norway. “I hadn’t thought that it would be possible to have the vaccine ready so quickly,” Stoltenberg tells VG.
The CEO of vaccine manufacturer Pfizer Norway, Sissel Lønning Andresen, confirms that there has been a high level of safety associated with transporting the vaccine.
The vaccine car has had a procession of escort cars since it left Belgium and the police escort the last kilometers to Oslo.
– In the situation we find ourselves in now, where there are not enough vaccines for everyone, there is a concern that someone may do something to get these vaccines before they actually get them. So there is a very strong focus on safety, explains Rønningen.
NIPH: I hope to vaccinate everyone in 2021
The NIPH now plans to begin vaccinating 5,000 nursing home residents in Oslo and the surrounding areas. According to reports, as early as December 27, several of the municipalities are starting vaccination.
– When do you think the rest of the population can start receiving the first vaccine?
– It’s hard to say now. We are concerned about putting a vaccine for the elderly and the risk group. We expect the rest of the population to be vaccinated during 2021, but we cannot say for sure. All forces want it to arrive quickly, answers Stoltenberg.
Tore Prestegard, CEO of the hospital pharmacies, which will store the vaccine, talks about the vaccine’s journey beyond Norway.
Pfizer itself delivers vaccine doses to cold rooms in different parts of the country in specially manufactured boxes. This is because they must maintain a temperature of minus 70 degrees.
– We receive them and keep them at that temperature. Then this is distributed to each municipality, nursing home or hospital in cooling temperature.
ESCORTED IN: Here the vaccine just crossed the border into Norway in Svinesund. The van with the vaccines was escorted across the border and to customs by the police. Photo: Gisle Oddstad
Stoltenberg: – We recommend the vaccine
FHI estimates that about 75 percent will accept the vaccine. However, there are several who are skeptical of the new vaccine, which has been developed in record time.
– What do you want to tell those who are not sure if they should get vaccinated?
– Ask questions and ask for answers if you are not sure. Use the websites of FHI and the Norwegian Medicines Agency and make your decision. We recommend the vaccine because it hasn’t shown any serious side effects so far, Stoltenberg says.
So far, only minor side effects have been identified in those who have received the vaccine.
– Many people want to feel a little tender, they want to feel a little bad, but it happens and it is not dangerous. The only serious side effect that has been seen so far is that some have had severe allergic reactions, Stoltenberg explains.
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– One step closer to winning against the coronavirus
Pfizer Norway CEO Sissel Lønning Andresen says it’s a great day for everyone involved.
– It is a very important day for everyone. We are very proud on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry and research-based science, who have contributed to us now having a vaccine and being one step closer to winning against the coronavirus and finally getting our daily lives back.
– What was it like to see the car arrive?
– It was big, a little touching. This is a day we’ve been waiting for a long time at Pfizer, ever since we started researching a vaccine in March. Now we have reached the point where it can be made available to Norwegians, Lønning Andresen responds.
– What have you done to have the vaccine ready as soon as possible?
– There are several things we have done to get the vaccine earlier than normal. We have invested a lot of resources since March. And then we did the development in a slightly different way than before. We have done things in parallel instead of one after the other. We have started planning production in advance.
– And then there has been a very good collaboration with BioNTech and the authorities, which means that we can be here today and receive vaccines.
Soon deliver 40,000 weekly doses
Norway will receive approx. 40,000 doses. The first regular delivery arrives on the third day of Christmas, and according to FHI it is 35,000 doses.
In total, municipalities have been informed that half, just over 17,000 doses, can be sent to them in the first week.
Prestegard explains how the vaccines will now be distributed and repackaged before shipping to the municipality:
– They come in trays with about 1000 doses, which is equivalent to 190 glasses. We then get an order list from FHI based on priorities and criteria, and then we ship according to what FHI decides, Prestegard explains.
