The first country in the world to stop the COVID-19 vaccination program

Can still inject COVID-19 vaccine if needed

The Danish health authorities announced this week that: “Spring has arrived, vaccine coverage in the Danish population is high and the epidemic has reversed.”

“As a result, the National Health Commission is ending efforts to widely vaccinate against COVID-19 for this season,” the statement stated.

According to Danish health authorities, people will not be invited to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from May 15, although everyone who has received this vaccine can still complete their vaccination course.

Denmark’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign begins shortly after Christmas 2020. About 4.8 million Danish citizens have been vaccinated against COVID-19, with more than 3.6 million getting boosters.

In addition, many Danes contracted COVID-19 when the Omicron variant became the predominant virus strain, which means that community immunity high.

“We are in a good place. We are controlling the epidemic well, it seems that the epidemic is settling down. Hospitalization rates are stable and we also expect this rate to drop soon. Therefore, we are completing the program of mass vaccination against COVID-19,” – CNBC quoted Bolette Soborg, leader at Denmark’s National Health Commission.

The public can still get a COVID-19 vaccine during the spring and summer if they want, and vaccination sites will remain open across the country, Mr. Soborg said.

The Danish official added that vaccination is still recommended for people at risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 such as those over 40 and unvaccinated pregnant women.

“We also continue to recommend that you complete your initial course of vaccination,” he said.

Immunization program can resume

Denmark’s move to stop the vaccination program is implemented in the context that the COVID-19 situation around the world is still complicated.

Europe and the US have abandoned most of its COVID-19 prevention regulations, but China is still imposing or considering a blockade as the virus spreads in major cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

However, it is not possible to completely eliminate the vaccination program in practice. The Danish Medicines and Health Agency notes that it may be necessary to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the autumn as the virus continues to mutate.

New variants have emerged over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and now the world has entered its third year of the epidemic.

These affect the duration of effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed in record time in 2020, even though the doses of the vaccine approved for use are still effective in preventing severe infection, hospitalization and COVID-19 death.

With the vaccination program likely to restart in a few months, Danish health professionals will consider who should get the vaccine, when to get it and what kind of vaccine should be given.

The Danish Medicines and Health Service said it will continue to closely monitor the development of the COVID-19 epidemic and is ready to restart vaccination efforts if there is a need for a booster shot. COVID-19 vaccine for target groups before the fall.