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COVID-19

Children aged 12-15 in Denmark begin Covid-19 vaccination

Several hundred children and young people aged 12-15 in Denmark have booked a Covid-19 vaccination, and some have already attended appointments to receive the jab.

Children aged 12-15 in Denmark begin Covid-19 vaccination
A sign directing cyclists to a vaccination centre in Copenhagen. Photo: Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix

The South Denmark region alone saw 509 people in the age group 12-15 book their vaccine appointments by midnight on Wednesday.

Although many appointments have already been made, the country did not begin sending invitations to the demographic until Thursday. As such, the number is likely to increase further on Thursday, according to the South Denmark health authority. Invitations are sent via the Eboks secure digital mail system.

The European Medicines Agency approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children 12-15 in May, after analysing the results of a study with 2,200 children. The Danish Health Authority endorsed vaccinating children in this age range after its own review in June.

READ ALSO: Denmark offers Pfizer jab to children ages 12-15

A total of 51,176 people in South Denmark have been able to book their appointments since Wednesday. The group covers those born in the years 2006-2009, meaning they turn 12, 13, 14 or 15 this year.

15-year-olds receive invitations for vaccination themselves, while for 12-14-year-olds the invitation is sent to parents, with whom the decision on whether their child should be vaccinated rests.

In the Zealand region, invitations were sent yesterday but not everyone has yet received them, news wire Ritzau writes based on comments provided by Region Sjælland (Zealand).

Nevertheless, “many have already made appointments this week, with 1,165 of 1,676 available slots already booked,” the authority said via email.

The Central Jutland region confirmed that people aged 12-15 attended for vaccination appointments on Thursday. Children aged under 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who can provide permission for their vaccination, the region stressed.

The Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) expects to complete vaccination by the end of August of all 12–15-year-olds who elect to receive the jab.

Along with people aged 30-34, those in the youngest age group are the last to be offered vaccination under the Danish Covid-19 vaccination programme.

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HEALTH

Can you get a covid vaccine in Denmark if you’re not in the at-risk groups?

If you’re not in one of the ‘high risk’ categories, a covid booster can be hard to come by in Denmark.

Can you get a covid vaccine in Denmark if you’re not in the at-risk groups?

A growing body of research indicates that keeping your covid vaccination up to date decreases your risk of long covid—a range of cardiovascular, neurological and respiratory symptoms that can be debilitating. But accessing the vaccine booster is not straightforward in Denmark if you are not within one of the ‘risk groups’ for the national annual booster scheme.

Ahead of winter 2023, the Danish government made a significant change to its covid vaccination policy. From November 2022 until October 2023, anyone who wanted to get vaccinated could do so at the government vaccination centres for a modest fee.

But in October 2023, the Danish government said it was bowing out of the elective booster game, since “vaccines will be sold on the private market under normal market conditions,” the Danish Health Ministry (Sundhedsministeriet) wrote.

READ ALSO: Covid-19 no longer given special status in Denmark

But it seems pharmacies and private clinics didn’t step in to fill the void the way the Danish government expected—although public health websites linked out to the Apotek pharmacy chain as a resource for voluntary covid vaccination, Apotek pharmacy confirmed to the Local Denmark via email that they did not offer paid covid vaccines this year.

As of February 5th, the only option for a voluntary covid booster in the Greater Copenhagen metropolitan area is through Copenhagen Medical, a private clinic in Sankt Annæ Plads near Nyhavn that offers a range of travel vaccines and tests. The Pfizer booster costs 920 kroner.

Other companies offer paid vaccinations, but the closest clinics are at least 30 km away (for instance, the Danske Lægers Vaccinations Service offers paid covid vaccines at their Roskilde and Hillerød locations).

The public covid vaccine campaign ended on January 15th, by when 1.1 million people had received a Covid vaccine during the 2023-2024 season in Denmark, according to the State Serum Institute, Denmark’s infectious disease agency.

SSI told the Local that it is unable to determine how many of those were through the public vaccination programme and how many were paid for at private clinics.

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