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The Swedish krona vaccinations are expected to start in January.
But there is a chance it could go faster than that.
– It can start even before the turn of the year, says Swedish vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström.
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT / TT NEWS AGENCY
Richard Bergström.
The positive news about the corona vaccine is mounting, and on Tuesday the UK launched its national vaccine program.
If all goes according to plan, Sweden is expected to start vaccinating against covid-19 after the New Year’s weekend.
“Quite realistic assessment”
Sweden’s vaccination coordinator Richard Bergström has previously stated that five million Swedes can be vaccinated for the summer and before the holidays.
– I estimate that about two million people will be able to get vaccinated in the first quarter and then about three million in the second quarter. So some of the vaccines may be delayed, but we have taken into account that five million people will be able to get vaccinated before the summer.
– And I’m pretty sure it’s a realistic assessment.
At the same time, there is a possibility that vaccines could be started earlier, even before the turn of the year.
– There is a theoretical possibility that it will be a little earlier, but it depends entirely on whether we will get an approval before Christmas or during the week. If we get it, it can start before the turn of the year, albeit in a very small volume, says Bergström and continues:
“No major impact on the pandemic”
– Not impossible, but most likely we will start after the thirteenth weekend.
He adds that EU leaders must make that decision this week to make it feasible, but that talks are ongoing at the highest level.
– If we start to get vaccinated a week or ten days before, we will not have a greater impact on the pandemic in general, since we are talking about a couple of tens of thousands of people who would have time to do it, but in that case it is more about wanting to create . hope and confidence. But if there is a possibility that it will be earlier, then I, the Public Health Agency and the regions are prepared for it.
– The ambition is how to have a coordinated start at the beginning of next year, but political leaders get to discuss how important it is to make an effort already in the middle of the day, provided the vaccine is approved, of course.
We will manage it
According to Richard Bergström, the fact that there are constantly new messages is not because “someone sits and changes all the time”, but because they do not know certain things at the moment.
– They can be things as simple as how big the batches will be or how big the boxes they are delivered in. Currently, for example, we do not know for sure how many doses will be administered during the first few weeks. Everything is going very fast.
– But I don’t think there’s chaos about it. It is not the case that there are several million doses at once in a truck, but it will be little by little and thus the regions will have time to prepare.
What is needed now is information, says Richard Bergström.
– From a purely logistical and practical point of view, I think that the regions will be able to handle this, as they already vaccinate several million Swedes in different programs every year. On the other hand, the Swedish Public Health Agency has the important task of informing, for example, which age groups should receive the vaccine and how effective they are in certain groups.
Believe that seven million will be vaccinated
When asked when we can go back to living as usual, Richard Bergström answers the following:
– I think that at the end of next summer or well into the fall, he has offered to vaccinate everyone he wants. But how the restrictions will affect or if we can return to a normal life, I cannot answer.
However, he has made a budget forecast on the basis that some seven million Swedes will want to be vaccinated.
– I really don’t want to say how many people will, but I think in the end there will be more than you think now.
Hallengren: all adults are vaccinated in the first half of the year
During a press conference on Tuesday, Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren and Marie Morell, chair of the Swedish Municipal and Regional Health Care Delegation (SKR), provided more information on Sweden’s vaccination plan.
Photo: Liam McBurney / TT NEWS AGENCY
Britain began vaccinating with the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday.
– All people over 18 years of age and minors in the risk group will be vaccinated during the first half of the year, said the Minister of Social Affairs.
It is unclear exactly when deliveries arrive in Sweden, hopefully “immediately after weekends,” according to Hallengren. But the message is that Sweden will be ready when the vaccine arrives, and that regions are prepared for different scenarios, depending on what vaccine it is.
– Work is in full swing in the regions to prepare. We will make this work in a way that is legally safe and secure for the patient, says Marie Morell.
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