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Vaccines against this year’s seasonal flu began in Sweden on November 3. Already after a couple of weeks, the vaccine began to spread in various parts of the country. Demand this year has been unusually high as a result of the pandemic.
Among other things, the vaccine doses have been exhausted in several health centers in the Stockholm Region, about which Expressen has also reported.
– There has been a great willingness to vaccinate against the pandemic and we have achieved much more than before. Vaccines remain, but it is difficult for those who have to get in touch with another vaccinator than they originally thought. We are waiting for new deliveries that we can distribute to vaccinators that they don’t have at the moment, writes Magnus Thyberg, department head of the health and healthcare administration in the Stockholm region, in an email to DN.
Thyberg says that the first doses were ordered in January and even more in April. To date, 340,000 doses have been shipped to vaccination sites in the region and more than 25,000 more are on the way. In total, just over 20 percent more doses have been ordered compared to last year.
– All our vaccines will be aimed at risk groups. They take priority, says Thyberg.
According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, priority should be given to people in risk groups and care and nursing staff who work close to those in risk groups. But several regions are still forced to prioritize staff as stocks are insufficient.
Should the region have been more prepared, as demand was very likely to be higher this year?
– We did what we could, since in part we acquired more in January than usual and in part we acquired more in April. But of course we’ll have to review next year if even more is needed, says Thyberg.
In several regions, including Stockholm, vaccination against influenza through vaccinators linked to the region is free for people in risk groups. Thyberg advises those who need to be vaccinated to visit 1177.se, then contact nearby vaccination sites and book an appointment where a vaccine is available.
Further away regions have the latest Weeks have drawn attention to the vaccine shortage. Region Västra Götaland already pointed out the problem on November 12.
– When during the pandemic we began to receive signals that willingness to vaccinate would increase, we emphasized that more was needed. We were able to make an additional purchase and received as much additional vaccine as the suppliers were able to offer, says Gunilla Ockborn, assistant doctor for infection control in the Västra Götaland region.
In addition to the 290,000 doses ordered by the region at the beginning of the year, just over 40,000 doses will be added in the coming weeks. This follows an acquisition over the summer that the region carried out in collaboration with the municipalities and regions of Sweden. In total, it is almost 30 percent more than what was bought last year. However, they are also forced to set priorities.
– A few weeks ago, when we received signs of a shortage of vaccines, we entered with priority. Available doses would primarily target people in risk groups, Ockborn says.
She hopes that all people in the risk group who request the vaccine have access to it, but cannot guarantee that this will be the case.
– I think many will be vaccinated, but I can’t promise that everyone will really have access. If we don’t get doses down to the last percent, it can affect people and the burden of care if the spread of flu increases this winter, Ockborn says.
Read more:
Lack of influenza vaccine in the Västra Götaland region
