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Danish Queen’s special request: ‘Don’t send me birthday flowers’

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has called on Danes not to send her flowers on her 80th birthday, but to instead send them to other elderly Danes facing "particular difficulties" during the coronavirus lockdown.

Published: 3 April 2020 10:17 CEST
Danish Queen's special request: 'Don't send me birthday flowers'
Queen Margrethe II holding a bouquet on her 75th birthday. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix
The Queen last month cancelled her 80th birthday celebrations as part of the country's coronavirus lockdown, leading 171,000 Danes to sign up to sing for her when the  big day comes on April 16. 
 
But in a press release issued on Thursday, the much-loved monarch made a “special request” to her subjects not to send her the traditional bouquets this year. 
 
“Each year on the Queen's birthday, the Queen receives flowers from near and far,” the statement reads. “This year, the Queen is calling for a bouquet to be sent to one of the many senior citizens who are facing particular difficulties during this time.” 
 
 
Margrethe II received plaudits last month for the special television address she made to her subjects admonishing those who had been “reckless” and mingled outside despite the coronavirus lockdown. 
 
In the release, the Royal House said it was also suspending the traditional event when people have the possibility to meet the queen personally at The Yellow Palace, or Bergum's Mansion, in Copenhagen, and to leave their written congratulations. 
 
Instead, there will be an opportunity to leave congratulations virtually on The Royal Court's website. 

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Published: 23 December 2022 10:53 CET
Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

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People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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