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The vaccine is here. But not everyone will receive a Covid syringe as a Christmas present. The number of initial doses is small and those included in priority groups are many. – I understand that it is not a comfort to many to hear “persevere, we do everything possible”, but that is what we do, says Vaccine Coordinator Christine Senter.
It will probably be a while before people under the age of 70 and who are not part of any risk group can get vaccinated against covid-19 in Sweden. Image from USA
Both Christmas and vaccination against covid-19 are at the door. In the next few days it is expected that the first vaccinations will be carried out in the country.
Sweden’s vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström has previously announced that a total of approximately 350,000 doses of the corona vaccine are expected to arrive in January. Something that, considering that the vaccine will be taken in two rounds, would be enough for 175,000 people.
However, the fact that there is a vaccine here does not mean the beginning of a mass vaccination at the social level. Numerically, the first shipments will go to the groups that the Public Health Agency (FHM) has designated as extra priority.
– We will start with the most vulnerable. I understand that if you are frustrated because it takes time, but both we and the other regions of the country really do our best, says Christine Senter, vaccines coordinator in the Gotland region.
It is the regions that are in charge of vaccination, and few learn to deviate from the order of priority established by the FHM. In the first place there are “people who live in special housing for the elderly or who receive home care, mainly people aged 70 and over.”
According to statistics from the National Board of Health and Welfare, just over 108,000 people over the age of 65 had special housing in 2019. However, natural deaths and newcomers within the group mean that the average figure of how many people live in special housing is around 82,000.
In addition, figures from the National Board of Health and Welfare show that just over 244,000 over 65s received home care in 2019, the figure for the “daily average” is just over 172,000.
The Swedish Public Health Agency has taken the above figures and adapted them to cover only “people aged 70 and over”. For special dwellings, FHM therefore has 80,000 and for home care 150,000.
Regardless of whether you use the FHM estimates or the annual or average figures from the National Board of Health and Welfare, the 350,000 starting doses for January are covered strongly.
Number two on FHM’s priority list is “senior care staff who work closely with residents and recipients of care.”
It is difficult to get an exact figure for the group because the definition “works closely” is open to interpretation. FHM estimates a rough estimate with about 340,000 people. This figure is based on Statistics Sweden’s occupational record within, among other things, the category “care and home care”.
After the first two categories come the “adults living with” those who are given the first priority.
Only then are others over 70, health professionals or those who belong to a risk group vaccinated. And then vaccination awaits those who do not belong to any risk group.
Christine Senter emphasizes, however, that the situation is generally better now.
– Much of this has been about solving problems. What I can say that feels positive is that we are now working on the solution. It is something that motivates and should give hope, to be part of the solution, he says.
The next vaccines
The European Commission has signed seven agreements on the purchase of the covid-19 vaccine on behalf of the member states. It is not yet clear when the vaccine can be given next:
* August 27: 300 million doses of Astra Zeneca, with an option for another 100 million.
* September 18: 300 million doses of Sanofi-GSK.
* October 8: 200 million doses of Janssen.
* November 11: 200 million doses of Biontech-Pfizer, with an option of 100 million additional doses.
* November 17: 225 million doses of Curevac, with an option of 180 million more.
* November 25: 80 million doses of Moderna, with an option for another 80 million.
* December 17: 100 million doses of Novavax, with an option of 100 million more.
Source: European Commission.
