ROSKILDE (Denmark), Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Denmark leads the EU in
vaccinations against the novel coronavirus thanks to a swift and smooth roll-out, and even more people would have got the jab if it had more available doses.
So far, 2.2 percent of Denmark’s population of 5.8 million has been
vaccinated since the campaign began on Dec 27.
Unlike other countries which have, amid delivery concerns, set aside half
their vaccine allotment to ensure patients get their second dose, the
Scandinavian country has barrelled ahead and used up its first Pfizer-
BioNTech doses.
“The government’s clear position is that the moment the vaccines touch
Danish soil is the moment they have to be used,” said Denmark’s Social
Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
With well-oiled logistics and a swift campaign in nursing homes — where
almost all who wanted the vaccine have now received it — Denmark tops the EU in vaccinations, far ahead of Italy and Slovenia and at a pace almost three times higher than the EU average.
As of Thursday, 129,170 people in Denmark had received their first jab.
With a robust welfare state, the country also attributes the strong start
to its universal healthcare system, governed by easily-mobilised local
regions.
To maximise the number of people getting their first dose, Denmark has,
like several other countries, also authorised the second dose to be delayed
by up to six weeks in some cases, instead of the recommended three.
The WHO has approved the move despite some reticence from the manufacturer.
Nurses in Denmark have been able to squeeze six doses of vaccine out of
each vial, instead of the expected five, which has also helped them speed
things along.
Denmark’s strategy is aimed at giving the first inoculations to frontline
healthcare workers and those in risk groups.
It hopes to have all adult Danes who want the injection — around 80
percent, according to opinion polls — vaccinated by June.
“Our goal is to be able to vaccinate 100,000 Danes a day when we have
enough vaccines,” the prime minister wrote in a recent Instagram post.
Denmark on Thursday began administering the new Moderna vaccine. For that one, the country has decided to set aside half of the doses.
Concerns are also rising in Denmark about the British variant of the novel
coronavirus, reported to be more contagious.
So far more than 200 cases have been detected in the country.
In mainland Denmark, excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands, 183,801
cases of Covid-19 and 1,623 deaths have been reported. — NNN-AGENCIES
