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This article is over a month old and may contain outdated advice from authorities on coronary heart disease.
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– It may be an advantage for people with significant obesity to contact their GP so they can be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine, says the director of infection control at the National Institute of Public Health, Geir Bukholm.
The reason for the wish is that when vaccines start arriving in the country, at first it will not be enough for everyone. The group that has evaluated who should get the vaccine first, believes that priority should be given to those most at risk of dying or becoming seriously ill.
Geir Bukholm, Director of Infection Control at the National Institute of Public Health, is responsible for planning the Norwegian vaccination program for COVID-19.
Photo: The Knowledge Center
The old
Age alone is a clear risk factor. The age that will differentiate between priority and not-so-high is not determined.
– Nothing is locked in stone, says deputy health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad.
The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone over the age of 65, but it is not certain that this is the “priority cutoff” for the coronary vaccine.
– Here you want to think about the risk profile and first select those with the highest risk, Nakstad believes.
He adds that the priority can be reversed if there is a very high level of infection in society. So healthcare workers with close contact with patients can make it to the top of the list.
Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad says nothing has been decided so far about how the vaccine will be prioritized.
Photo: Vidar Ruud
Obesity
The National Institute of Public Health has reviewed research on which diseases increase the risk of coronary heart disease having a serious course. One of the many risk factors is morbid obesity.
– Severe obesity, with a body mass index of 35 or more, can increase the risk. It will, for example, be an adult who is 175 cm tall and weighs 110 kg or more, says the chief physician of the National Institute of Public Health Preben Aavitsland.
Something that often accompanies severe obesity is high blood pressure. For people who just have high blood pressure, the National Institute of Public Health has good news.
– We found no evidence that high blood pressure alone increases risk, says Aavitsland.
The chief physician of the National Institute of Public Health, Preben Aavitsland, believes there are many good reasons for people with a lot of extra pounds to see a GP. Entering the priority queue for the coronary vaccine is one of them.
Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder
Contact your doctor
One task related to vaccination is to get an overview of who is in risk groups.
– We envision a collaboration with GPs, says Geir Bukholm.
Normally, GPs know who has the diseases that increase the risk of serious consequences. This is not necessarily the case with obesity.
Aavitsland believes that there are several benefits to contacting your GP if you are many pounds overweight.
– Over time, obesity increases the risk of, among other things, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and osteoarthritis. People with severe obesity can benefit from talking to their GP about prevention. Then the diagnosis is also noted so the GP will know if vaccination is recommended for this group, says Aavitsland.
The government will later decide which groups vaccination will be recommended to and possibly prioritize as well.
