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As of Thursday, 883,561 people in Sweden had received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine. This corresponds to 10.8 percent of all Swedes over the age of 18. But there are no aggregate statistics on the proportion of vaccinated among health and care employees.
After DN’s revelation on January 13 that 42 percent of employees at Skåne’s Burlöv special accommodation rejected the vaccine, the discussion has been intense: How should the authorities maintain the will to vaccinate the staff to limit the risks of the elderly and frail?
Now Gothenburg The city has largely completed the vaccination phase of employees who work in direct contact with risk groups. These include nursing assistants, nurses, rehabilitation, unit managers, home care staff, including substitutes, but also custodians and caregivers.
Babbs Edberg is Managing Director for the City of Gothenburg.
Photo: Sören Håkanlind
Constitutional norms on bodily integrity mean that municipalities do not know who has taken the syringe or has surrendered.
– But we assess that about 70 percent have chosen to get vaccinated based on the fact that we know how many of the companies that do vaccinations have signed up and how many of us have received the offer, says managing director Babbs Edberg.
The municipal councilor responsible for the care of the elderly, Elisabet Lann (KD), hopes that the figure may rise slightly.
– That about 70 percent of the staff are vaccinated, I would say that is pretty good. But you can probably go up a bit more, for example, before the vaccination cards arrive and see what benefits they can bring, he says.
Kristine Rygge is Vaccine Coordinator at Västra Götaland. Here, in conversation with the head of infection control, Thomas Wahlberg.
Photograph: Björn Larsson Rosvall / TT
Vaccination of healthcare workers takes place through the Västra Götaland region, where vaccine coordinator Kristine Rygge says:
– Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly what it looks like in the different municipalities, but 70 percent in Gothenburg is not a bad figure. Clearly we want a higher figure, but 70 is a good start.
What do you think is holding it back?
– There can be many reasons, it does not have to be a concern for the vaccine. You may be pregnant.
Do employees say no when they come to the vaccinator and tell them they are getting the Astra Zeneca vaccine?
– In some cases yes, but there are not many. On the contrary, many have been disappointed when we were forced to pause.
The recent alarm about side effects, especially related to Astra Zeneca’s type of vaccine, shouldn’t have had a significant effect, Babbs Edberg believes.
– The type of vaccine that the staff has received has varied a little, when we started, Astra Zenecas was not available, but after its approval, some have received it. But I have not heard a big discussion that many refused because they were offered the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
So is 70 percent an expected level?
– I think it’s about what to expect, in part there are those who choose to give up, in part there is a group with severe allergies, in part there are those who may have been ill.
Has fear of side effects been affected?
– Some have been scared, we have tried to make sure we have received good information. Our union comrades have been fantastic and have gone before and said that it is important to both the elderly and the individual himself.
Sladjana Gustafsson is Vice President of Kommunal Väst.
Photo: Kommunal Väst
However, the vice president of the Kommunal Väst union, Sladjana Gustafsson, tells DN that she thinks the debate over which vaccines are good or less good has affected.
– Those I have spoken to who have doubted have had questions about the side effects, many thoughts on Astra Zenecas. But some have said that they still landed on taking the vaccine to make it easier to travel at some point in the future.
Has anyone who hesitated or said that they have not expressed concern about being relocated?
– No, no one has heard from me about any of that. We have no disputes, it is rolling.
Have you received a report that one of your members was vaccinated and then became ill?
– Some have had arm pain, a little fever, but no one has gotten sick from the vaccine as far as is known.
Several municipalities, including Gothenburg, have consulted with the Swedish municipalities and regions, SKR, for guidance on how they might act if many employees in a residence say no; Did labor law regulations allow temporary relocations?
Managing Director Babbs Edberg:
– Of course we followed the SKR discussions and came to the point that it was not possible to do so. Since we also don’t keep records of who gets vaccinated, it falls.
Has there been an acute problem in a unit where many have abandoned vaccination?
– No, it is not an acute problem, but there have certainly been discussions within a work team.
FOOTNOTE: On Thursday evening, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that the Astra Zeneca vaccine is safe and effective. The Swedish Public Health Agency will announce the use of the vaccine in Sweden next week.
