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The Swedish health authority has announced that most Swedes will likely be offered a Covid booster in 2022, while vulnerable people could receive their third injection this fall.
The Swedish Public Health Agency on Tuesday unveiled plans to offer a large portion of the population a third booster next year, depending on the emergence of new variants and data on vaccine effectiveness over the years. time.
Anders Tegnell, a state epidemiologist, detailed the reasons he proposed a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine, saying that “The assessment is that it is not possible to eradicate the virus and therefore the vaccination work must be long-term and focused on reducing serious illness and death.”
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In line with the second step of its Swedish vaccine strategy, risk groups, such as residents of nursing homes, Swedes over 80 years of age and immunocompromised members of the population could be offered a booster dose in the fall. Meanwhile, the third step will focus on providing a third dose to the wider general population.
However, the main priority of the Scandinavian country remains to vaccinate regions and populations with low vaccination coverage. According to figures from the Swedish health authority, 51% of the adult population over 18 received at least two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, while just over 78% received their first injection.
The country’s health agency estimates that the entire adult population will be fully vaccinated in the fall, when 16-17 year olds who have not yet opted for vaccination will be offered a vaccine.
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Sweden is just one of the last countries to plan to offer Covid boosters. Germany announced Monday that it will offer a third vaccine to vulnerable people in September. Israel rolled out the third-round program last weekend for older residents.
Since the start of the pandemic, Sweden has recorded around 1.1 million cases and 14,665 deaths.
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