COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Sweden recommended on Wednesday that everyone between the ages of 18 and 65 receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine six months after the second injection.
About seven of the 10 million inhabitants of the country have already completed the vaccination schedule, said the Minister of Social Affairs, Lena Hallengren, who said she was concerned about the rebound in infections.
“The government takes the spread of infection around the world very seriously,” Hallengren said. “The purpose (of offering a third dose) is to be prepared for a possible deterioration of the situation.”
Karin Tegmark Wisell, director of the Swedish Public Health Agency, pointed out that the vaccine “is our most important tool in dealing with the pandemic.”
“Two injections provide good protection against serious illness and death, but the protective effect diminishes over time,” he said during a news conference.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Sweden stood out among European countries for its response to the health crisis. Those over 65 can already receive the third injection, something that, according to the authorities, has done 26% of that age group.
The Scandinavian country did not decree any confinement or close businesses during the pandemic, relying instead on the sense of civic duty of the population to control infections.
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