RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, Feb. 11, the Scandinavian country announced in a press release its decision of ending “the entire vaccination program” in the coming weeks, “no later than spring.”
“The National Health Council will closely monitor the evolution of the epidemic in the coming weeks, and we hope to announce the dates for the closure of the vaccination program by the end of February,” the press release said.
In its press release, the government pointed to the high vaccination rates in the country, which underscore a “very high protective immunity” of the population.
As France Soir explains, citing figures from the Statens Serum Institut, an infectious disease research institute, 80.9% of the 5.8 million Danes were vaccinated as of Feb. 11, 61.4% of whom had received a booster dose.
According to the Ministry of Health, this figure is comparable to France, where 79% of the population is vaccinated, including 55% with the third dose.
“We know from experience that the number of infections decreases as the season changes,” the press release states. “As we see the epidemic subsiding and the season changing soon, it does not make sense to offer the fourth dose,” argues Bolette Søborg, Denmark’s chief medical officer.
In addition, the National Health Council believes that children under 18 already have high immunity and are at low risk of contracting a severe form of Covid-19 with Omicron.
As a result, the Scandinavian country could be the first to eliminate vaccination beginning in the spring altogether. A schedule is expected to be announced by the end of February.
However, the government warns that its decision is not yet final: “Of course, we will follow the epidemic closely and are ready to reconsider this decision if, contrary to our expectations, a fourth spring wave or new variants affect our country,” says Bolette Søborg.
The Danish government initially announced that it would no longer offer booster vaccinations to the population. So older or vulnerable people will not receive a fourth dose, and people under 18 will not receive a third dose.
As of Feb. 1, Denmark has lifted all health restrictions, opting to “remove the classification of Covid-19 as a threatening disease,” according to Health Minister Magnus Heunicke.