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VACCINE

Expected completion of Danish vaccination programme delayed by three weeks

A delay in expected vaccine deliveries has resulted in Denmark revising its vaccination programme to now be completed three weeks later than previously targeted.

Expected completion of Danish vaccination programme delayed by three weeks
A waiting room at a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Copenhagen. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Health authorities now expects everyone who wishes to receive the Covid-19 vaccine to have been inoculated (with both doses where relevant) by July 18th, Danish media including national broadcaster DR reported on Friday.

The most recent plan for the roll-out of the vaccine in Denmark, published on February 26th, aimed to complete vaccinations by June 27th. That date has now been put back by three weeks.

A new version of the plan, with the later date, was sent to health spokespersons in parliament by the Ministry of Health. DR reports it has seen a copy of the email.

The change is due in part to delivery delays, according to DR’s report.

Additionally, the next two vaccines in line for approval – from Johnson & Johnson and Curevac – will not be ready for delivery before April and June respectively.

Meanwhile, the Danish Authority has now updated recommendations to approve the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for people over 65.

A new version of the plan, with the later date, has now been published by the Danish Health Authority.

While the overall vaccination programme will be completed later, some groups will be offered vaccines earlier than under the previous version of the plan.

That includes the lowest-priority group 12, which encompasses people age 16-64 with no underlying health risks, close relations to at-risk people or critical societal job roles.

Vaccination of this group is now scheduled to commence in April. The previous start date was the beginning of May.

But priority groups 7-10 may now have to wait up to five weeks longer to receive their first jab.

READ ALSO: When and how can foreign residents get the Covid-19 vaccine in Denmark?

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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.

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.” 

READ ALSO: 

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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