Skåne to get half as much vaccine as planned – Tough prioritising of risk groups

Pfizer's doses of vaccine to Skåne will be 60 per cent lower in January than previously planned.

– The vaccine is only fully effective after the second dose, 2-3 weeks later. Therefore, we must ensure that everyone can get the second dose. And that is 14,500 people, says Assistant Infection Control Doctor Per Hagstam.

Folkhälsomyndigheten’s (the Public Health Agency of Sweden) plan for the country is that risk groups, the elderly and medical staff will be vaccinated first. But now even people within risk groups are being prioritised.

– First, we’re going to focus on those who live in special housing for the elderly and the staff who take care of them, says Per Hagstam.

– Then it will be the most elderly who receive a lot of care and assistance at home. This is a large risk group and we want to reach them. Even there, it’s important to vaccinate the staff, says Per Hagstam.

Hagstam emphasises that there will be plenty of vaccine later this spring.

The goal is that 70 per cent of all adults will be vaccinated by mid-2021.

Hospitals will build departments for vaccination but they will also work together with primary care.

Will everyone be called to get vaccinated or should we find a practice?

– It will be different. In the beginning, we will identify people in different risk groups. We will provide more details about how it will be later.