The Swedish government decided against recommending covid vaccinations for children between the ages of 5 and 12; citing studies that show young people have a significantly lower chance of severe illness than older citizens and those with comorbidities.
The decision was announced on Thursday.
“With the knowledge we have today, with a low risk for serious disease for kids, we don’t see any clear benefit with vaccinating them,” Health Agency official Britta Bjorkholm told a news conference.
“She added that the decision could be revisited if the research changed or if a new variant changed the pandemic. Kids in high-risk groups can already get the vaccine,” reports Reuters.
“Sweden registered more than 40,000 new cases on Jan. 26, one of the highest daily numbers during the pandemic, despite limited testing. While the fourth wave has seen daily infection records shattered, the healthcare is not under the same strain as during previous waves,” adds the global news agency.
Sweden’s decision comes the same day Denmark removed most virus restrictions.
“We say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome the life we knew before the pandemic,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. “As of Feb. 1, Denmark will be open.”
Read the full report at Reuters.
