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Stockholm (AFP) – The Swedish health authorities recommended this Monday the inoculation of a fourth dose of anti-covid vaccine to all people over 80 years of age, as well as for those residing in nursing homes regardless of their age.
Very few countries in the world have launched campaigns of a fourth dose, since those corresponding to the third are still in full swing, to achieve (collective) immunity against the virus.
This recommendation also applies to people who receive home care, regardless of their age, according to the Public Health Authority, which designs the strategy of this Nordic country against covid.
In addition, it specifies that this new booster vaccine must be inoculated at least four months after receiving a third.
“The ability of the immune system to react to the vaccine to create long-lasting protection decreases with age. A booster increases this protection,” Anders Tegnell, Swedish chief epidemiologist, said in a statement.
Other countries, such as Israel, Denmark and Spain have also announced that they will implement a fourth dose for vulnerable and/or elderly people.
However, Denmark made it clear on Friday that it does not plan to inoculate a fourth to other groups of its population, nor a third to those under 18 years of age.
The Danish health authorities indicated that they are working “to design a plan to stop vaccination”, whose calendar will be made public at the end of February.
In Sweden, more than 85% of those over the age of 80 have received a third dose of serum, as well as almost 55% of those over 18.
On February 9, the most populous of the Nordic countries lifted all its restrictions against the coronavirus, despite confirming a large number of cases due to the omicron variant, arguing that the protection resulting from vaccination led the pandemic “towards a new phase”, making them less peremptory.
Precisely, Sweden has distinguished itself during the pandemic, in its first phase in particular, by the flexibility in its health strategy, without imposing confinements or the use of masks.
With almost 16,500 deaths out of just over 10 million inhabitants, its balance is slightly lower than the European average, but clearly higher than that of its Nordic neighbors (Denmark, Norway and Finland).
The poor protection found in nursing homes during the first phase of the pandemic was particularly highlighted in the report of a specific investigation.
© 2022 AFP
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