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It is in the ongoing debate in Sweden about who should get vaccinated first that the Skåne region now sets foot.
At an additional group management meeting held in the Skåne region on Monday, a decision was made to immediately start vaccinating care staff, especially in IVA. The high load of intensive care means that the region goes against the recommendation of the Public Health Agency to wait with the care staff until February.
– It is an important key group to be able to care for covid patients and the most seriously ill in our hospitals. We are now manipulating to go one step further and have a plan to quickly start vaccination when the vaccine arrives in Sweden in increasing volumes, says health and healthcare director Pia Lundbom in a press release.
Chairman of the Skåne Regional Board, Carl Johan Sonesson (M), supports the decision.
– It is an official decision, but personally I think it is correct. We must make sure we have staff to care for sick people, he says.
In the Skåne region, the idea is for healthcare professionals to get vaccinated with Moderna’s vaccine, once it has been approved in the EU. In this way, the Skåne Region will vaccinate the Phase 1 and Phase 2 groups in parallel, where they will continue to vaccinate those who live in special accommodation and receive home care with the Pfizer vaccine.
– If we’re lucky, Moderna’s vaccine will arrive in Skåne next week. Then the groups of personnel selected in the second phase will receive their vaccine, says Carl Johan Sonesson.
Should this decision be interpreted as going against the Public Health Agency?
– I think you can interpret it as that we handle both groups at the same time. We follow the order of priority because we continue with phase 1 as well, but we advance phase 2, it says and continues:
– We have an extreme health burden. Today we have 600 people who are caring for covid-19-. We have never been so high before.
To date, the Skåne Region has vaccinated 1,400 people with a first dose.
The ruling parties in the Västra Götaland region it leans in the same direction as Skåne, but without a formal decision being made on this.
– We have written to the Public Health Agency and to the municipalities and regions of Sweden and made our opinion heard. We have such a tense situation and we cannot handle our tasks in this group of staff, says Johnny Magnusson (M), president of the regional board at VGR.
The group of personnel referred to is the care personnel who work in the intensive care and covid departments of the region. In all, there are about 5,000 employees, Magnusson says.
On Tuesday, the regional board will have an additional meeting to further discuss the issue.
If vaccination of healthcare professionals is to be eliminated in the region, the wait will be longer for many older people for special housing and home care, something that Johnny Magnusson does not see as a major problem at this time.
– On the vaccination of affected health professionals it means other groups have to wait for vaccines to arrive, well then it must be, says Johnny Magnusson.
Anna Starbrink (left), Regional Councilor for Health and Medical Care in the Stockholm region, as in the Västra Götaland region, would like the vaccination of medical personnel to start earlier:
“In Stockholm, we are now reviewing the possibilities of accelerating phase 2 of vaccination, which includes health personnel, so that they can quickly access the protection they need,” he responds in a written comment and continues:
“I want the Swedish Public Health Agency to quickly look at the issue and clarify how priorities should be set. It is important that we take the same care with the same priorities throughout the country.
State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell believes that regions may do it in different ways:
– You cannot do the same in Stockholm city center as in a sparsely populated area. You have to be practical, make adjustments locally and if the logistics are not correct, you can do it in another way. Work in a slightly different way, Tegnell tells DN.
– Prioritization is a recommendation that you do not have to slavishly follow. How you do it in practice will vary. To make a small correction, let phase 1 and phase 2 go through a draw.
DN has contacted the Public Health Agency, which says they do not have an opportunity to comment on the situation at this time.
Read more:
Tegnell does not want to change vaccine strategy, despite health criticism
WHO: Healthcare professionals should receive the covid vaccine first
