Sweden’s government has recommended a fourth COVID-19 vaccine for people above 65 years along with the people who are living in nursing homes or getting home care.
According to the Swedish authorities, the new guidelines drop the age from the previous recommendation of 80 years and above. It also includes the fourth shot for the aged 18-64 years having moderate to severe immune deficiency.
Sweden’s public Health Agency chief Karin Tegmark Wisell said in a statement, “The goal is just as before to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19”.
Tegmark Wisell added that it is “justified to give a second booster for COVID-19 to wider age range as the danger of infection in Sweden and rest of countries continue to significantly multiply. The protection against the virus caused by the vaccine is starting to decline for the older age group.
She said, “For people aged 65 and over, it is now four months since the previous vaccine dose and the vaccine’s protective effect diminishes over time”. She further added that “the pandemic is not over and we still have in Sweden a significant spread of infection in society”.
Infection control was largely left to individual responsibility. There was never a lockdown or a closure of businesses.
