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COVID-19 VACCINES

Sweden cuts recommended waiting period for Covid booster

Sweden's Public Health Agency has given regions the go-ahead to shorten the interval between the second and third dose of the Covid vaccine for all adults.

Published: 12 January 2022 09:02 CET
Updated: 12 January 2022 17:14 CET
a nurse vaccinating a man
Most Swedish regions currently only offer the booster dose after five months to over-65s, while other adults can get it after six months. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

In most Swedish regions, only over-65s are currently able to get their Covid booster five months after their second dose (or five months after their first dose, if their first dose was the Johnson & Johnson, also known as Janssen, vaccine). Other adults have to wait six months.

But the Public Health Agency now recommends that the interval be shortened to five months for everyone over the age of 18.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, it said regions should prioritise people over the age of 50 and people aged 18-49 who belong to risk groups.

Swedish regions are responsible for their own healthcare so it is ultimately up to them to decide how and when to roll out boosters to more people. To find out how to book a vaccine in your region, go to the 1177.se healthcare website and click välj region at the top of the page.

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COVID-19 VACCINES

EU approves new dual-strain Covid vaccines in time for autumn booster campaigns

The European Medicines Agency has approved two new Covid vaccines that are designed to protect against both the original strain of the virus and the new Omicron variants.

Published: 1 September 2022 15:33 CEST
EU approves new dual-strain Covid vaccines in time for autumn booster campaigns

Both Pfizer and Moderna had submitted applications for their dual-strain vaccines to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in mid-July, with the agency announcing on Thursday that both had been approved.

The vaccines target both the Omicron variant and the original strain of Covid, but do not specifically target the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants that have emerged as the global dominant strains in recent months.

The EMA approval comes after the US approved both vaccines on Wednesday, while the UK approved the Moderna dual-strain vaccine in mid-August.

Within the EU, countries have the choice of accepting the EMA recommendation straight out, or asking their own domestic health regulator to give its approval.

The dual-strain vaccines are widely expected to be used in Covid booster shot campaigns this autumn, which many countries plan to combine with the annual flu vaccination drive. 

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