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COVID-19

New Swedish Covid-19 guidelines from November: no tests for double vaccinated

The Swedish Public Health Agency has announced a change in the Covid-19 guidelines. From November 1st, fully vaccinated individuals will no longer be required to take a Covid-19 test before returning to work after they recover – with a few exceptions.

Vaccine bottles being filled
New recommendations may reduce time at home for double-vaccinated. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

The new guidelines also apply to people who have recently been infected with Covid-19 and children under six.

“You should feel better and back to your normal self, even if you still have some respiratory symptoms. For most people this means you should stay at home for at least a few days, but often up to a week” said Karin Tegmark Wisell, deputy state epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency, at a press conference.

Although tests are no longer required for these people, the Public Health Agency still recommends that people with symptoms of respiratory infections stay at home until they feel better, returning to work, school or preschool once they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. This is also to help avoid spreading other respiratory illnesses such as RSV virus (a common winter virus mainly affecting children) and influenza.

Unvaccinated individuals should follow previous recommendations to take a Covid-19 test and stay at home while waiting for an answer if experiencing symptoms.

The recommendation to take a Covid-19 test and stay at home while waiting for an answer if experiencing respiratory symptoms also still applies to healthcare and care home workers, those working with the elderly, elderly people receiving at-home care, and people receiving treatment for suspected Covid-19.

People who know or suspect that they may have been infected should also still follow recommendations to get tested – even if they are fully vaccinated.

The Public Health Agency stated that the new measures were due to the level of vaccination coverage in Sweden, which is said had lowered the risk of serious consequences of Covid-19, as well as the risk of spreading the virus.

As of Thursday, 84.4 percent of Sweden’s over-16 population had had one dose, and 79.4 percent two doses.

Member comments

  1. “People who know or suspect that they may have been infected should also still follow recommendations to get tested – even if they are fully vaccinated.”
    This is confusing – so if you have been in close contact with somebody who did get the virus, you should get tested (even if you’ve been vaccinated?)

    Then is the no tests necessary for vaccinated people only for those who get cold like symptoms without any clear contagion route?
    I’m not sure why they keep the quoted recommendation. It’s just even more confusing.

    1. Hi, yes, that is also our understanding. Fully vaccinated people who develop symptoms in general don’t have to get tested according to the new recommendations (but should still stay at home), but fully vaccinated people who know they have been exposed to the virus (for example if they’ve been in close contact with someone with confirmed Covid or have been contacted by contact tracers) should still get tested.

  2. Are people wearing masks in Sweden? I’m coming to Stockholm late February and. I’m so used to it here in the US.

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READER QUESTIONS

Reader question: How do I get a Covid booster jab in Sweden?

The Covid vaccine is still free for everyone in Sweden, even if you don't belong to a group at particular risk of serious infection.

Reader question: How do I get a Covid booster jab in Sweden?

It is possible to get vaccinated against Covid at any time, but the Public Health Agency recommends that people generally wait until after November 7th, when an updated vaccine against the virus will be available. This is also to coincide with the start of seasonal influenza vaccinations and because the agency believes that the timing will be ideal to get those at risk vaccinated before the infection peak.

The Covid vaccine is free for everyone and the flu vaccine is additionally free for over-65s and people who belong to risk groups (see below for more information). People who don’t fit this category can still get the Covid vaccine for free at any time, but they have to pay around 200-400 kronor to get the flu vaccine, depending on where in Sweden they live. They will likely also have to wait a few weeks after the launch of the seasonal flu vaccination campaign on November 7th until everyone who needs the flu vaccine has had a chance to get it.

How to book a time for the Covid vaccine or booster varies depending on which Swedish region you live in.

Some regions may send out reminders to people in risk groups, but in other regions people have to contact health centres themselves.

Here’s how it works in Sweden’s three biggest regions as an example: In Stockholm, you can book a time in the region’s Alltid öppet app, contact your health centre or a vaccination centre directly, or visit a drop-in vaccination centre. In Västra Götaland, you can book a time online here or contact a health centre. In Skåne, you can book a time online, visit a drop-in centre or call a health centre.

The best way to find the regional rules is to go to the Covid vaccine page on national healthcare website 1177.se and choose your region (välj region) at the top of the page. If you don’t have a Swedish personal identity number, it’s usually best to call a health centre directly.

Here are the specific Covid vaccine recommendations for all age brackets:

Under-18s

Sweden no longer has a recommendation in place for children and teenagers aged 12-17 to get vaccinated against Covid. The Public Health Agency recommends that under-18s only get vaccinated in individual cases on a doctor’s specific recommendation.

People aged 18-49

There’s no longer any recommendation to get vaccinated against Covid for people aged 18-49 who don’t have an underlying health condition. However, people who belong to this group and would like to get vaccinated may do so, and the vaccine is free for them.

If it’s a booster, at least nine months must have passed since the last dose.

See below for information for over-18s with an underlying health condition, including pregnancy.

People aged 50-64

Unvaccinated people aged 50-64 are recommended to get one dose of the Covid vaccine this winter.

There’s no general recommendation for vaccinated people in the same age bracket, but the same rules as above apply to them: the booster dose is free and nine months must have passed since the last one.

People aged 65-79 and over-18s with an underlying health condition

People aged 65-79 are recommended to get a dose of the Covid vaccine this winter, regardless of whether or not they have previously been vaccinated. If they’ve had confirmed Covid-19 after August 1st and are in good health, they can choose not to get a booster dose, but if there’s any doubt whether or not they actually had Covid, they too are recommended to get a dose of the vaccine this winter.

If people in this group got vaccinated ahead of the autumn before the updated vaccine was available, they may get another dose, but at least three months have to pass between the doses.

The same recommendations apply to people who are aged over 18 and belong to a group especially at risk of developing serious Covid infection. These groups include pregnant people (after week 12) and adults with conditions such as chronic heart or lung disease, obesity, liver or kidney failure, diabetes, and people with weakened immune systems due to illness or ongoing medical treatment.

The flu vaccine is available for free for over-18s with underlying health conditions, including pregnancy, and over-65s and you can get both vaccines at the same time. The influenza vaccination season will start from November 7th, although there may be regional variations.

People aged 80 or older

People who are older than 80 or live in care homes for the elderly are recommended to get vaccinated against Covid this winter. If they’ve already had a booster this autumn, they may get another dose once the updated vaccine is available, at least three months after their last dose.

This guide is meant to be helpful and was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. If in doubt about anything regarding your medical situation or vaccine recommendations, always speak with a healthcare provider. You can’t book a vaccine via Sweden’s national healthcare helpline 1177, but you can call them for advice in Swedish or English.

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