Sweden to launch coronavirus vaccine program in 2021

Sweden's COVID-19 vaccination program could be rolled out early next year, but preventative measures will still be in place for the foreseeable future, Sweden's Public Health Agency said at a Monday press conference, reported Xinhua.

"A future vaccine will likely constitute an important tool in fighting the pandemic but it is not the ultimate solution to the problem. A vaccine alone cannot stop the pandemic," said Johan Carlson, director-general of the Public Health Agency.

Carlson said that those aged 70 and up and those with underlying conditions plus healthcare personnel will be prioritized in the vaccine program in order to "protect those in particular need of protection." He added that healthy children below 18 years of age will not need to be vaccinated.

Sweden's vaccine coordinator, Richard Bergstrom, told the news conference that the country's vaccination program may start during the first quarter of 2021 but in "limited volumes."

He warned that there are still unknown factors, for instance around just how effective the vaccine will be among different groups of patients.

"We have to take into consideration that the first vaccines coming out are produced with new technologies that have not been tried and tested yet. They are being tested now in clinical studies with far above 10,000 or 30,000 patients taking part," Bergstrom said.

Bergstrom added that if all goes according to plan, Sweden will have a surplus of doses. "We have bought more than we need but that is a luxury problem," he said. "We will be able to sell them on to other countries."

Earlier this month, Sweden announced that it would be able to offer vaccines to between three to six million citizens following a deal between the European Union and the British-Swedish biopharmaceutical group AstraZeneca.