Norway like elsewhere in Europe is currently vaccinating its population against the Covid-19 virus with Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

It is preparing to receive its first doses of the Moderna vaccine, which was recently given the green light by the EU.

Some 4,974 people have been vaccinated in Viken County, while 3,064 people have been vaccinated in Oslo.

People from these areas account for 40 percent of the vaccinated people, according to figures from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI). 

The fewest number of people have been vaccinated in Nordland (857) and Troms og Finnmark (941).

Data from last week collated by Our World in Data indicated that Norway had vaccinated 0.2 percent of its population. In comparison, Denmark had vaccinated 1.43 percent, Germany 0.5 percent and Sweden 0.4 percent of its population.

Denmark had by Monday administered the first dose of the vaccine to 115,932 people, according to the public health institute Statens Serum Institut (SSI).

Many Norwegians have taken issue with the pace of vaccinations, according to a survey conducted by the analysis agency Opinion, which tracks Norwegians’ views on topics related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The survey found that only one in three Norwegians trust the pace of vaccinations, while 40 percent said they do not trust it. The remaining share was undecided.

The agency speculateda that the relatively slow progress may be due to Norway saving their second doses of the vaccine, which should be administered three weeks after the first, according to the manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech.

Denmark, on the other hand, has opted to delay administering the second dose by up to six weeks, thus boosting their ability to issue the first dose.

Yet the pace may pick up when Norway receives its first batch of the vaccine produced by Moderna on Tuesday, FHI announced Monday, despite the first delivery only containing 4,000 doses.

“Half the doses will be distributed to Oslo, and will be used to vaccinate at risk groups over 85 years,” FHI writes. “The other half will be put aside for the second dose.”

Norway expects to receive 43,000 Moderna-doses by mid-February and 1,9 million in total.