Denmark to offer fourth COVID-19 shot to some
Denmark to offer fourth COVID-19 shot to some
A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose will be offered to nursing home residents and people age 50 and over in Denmark later this year, the prime minister said Wednesday.
The reason for the move is a rise in cases of the BA.5 coronavirus variant in Europe, and Denmark's government says it wants to move swiftly to avoid potential restrictions or a lockdown.
"The infection has been on the rise for the past three weeks," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. "That is why we are acting now."
She added that the swift move was aimed at taking care of older people and the vulnerable and to avoid the congestion of hospitals, shutdowns and restrictions and to keep the economy going.
Last week, the BA.5 variant accounted for 59 per cent of the positive cases while the previous week it represented 32 per cent of the cases, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said. As of Wednesday, 1,958 cases were reported in Denmark and 249 people were hospitalized.
"These are staggering numbers, but they are low numbers compared to what we have tried before," said Heunicke, adding that while the variant is more contagious, it doesn't cause more serious illness.
The shot will first be given to those living in nursing homes starting Sept. 15 and then those over 50 from Oct. 1. Vulnerable people also can get a vaccine by contacting their general practitioner, said the head of the Danish Health Authority, Soren Brostrom. Nursing home staff will also be offered a fourth shot.
Frederiksen said it is the Danish health authorities' assessment that 2.5 million people would be offered revaccination during the fall.
She added that with the knowledge Denmark has now, "we do not see an autumn and a winter with major restrictions and closures."
"All we do now is to avoid the shutdowns," Heunicke said.
____
What questions do you have about travel rules amid COVID-19?
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from Canadians with any questions.
Tell us what you’d like to know when it comes to rules around entering or leaving Canada.
To submit your question, email us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, location and question. Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Agent: Rushdie off ventilator and talking, day after attack
'The Satanic Verses' author Salman Rushdie was taken off a ventilator and able to talk Saturday, a day after he was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in upstate New York.

Arizona parents arrested trying to get in locked-down school
Police arrested three Arizona parents, shocking two of them with stun guns, as they tried to force their way into a school that police locked down Friday after an armed man was seen trying to get on campus, authorities said.
Parent of child with rare form of epilepsy distressed over N.S. ER closures
Kristen Hayes lives close to the hospital in Yarmouth, N.S., but she says that twice in the past month, her son, who has a rare form of epilepsy, has been taken by ambulance to the emergency room there, only to be left waiting.
Feds quietly change rules to allow one-time ArriveCAN exemption at land border crossings
The Canada Border Services Agency is temporarily allowing fully vaccinated travellers a one-time exemption to not be penalized if they were unaware of the health documents required through ArriveCAN.
Average rent up more than 10% in July from previous year, report says
Average rent in Canada for all properties rose more than 10 per cent year-over-year in July, according to a recent nationwide analysis of listings on Rentals.ca.
LAPD ends investigation into Anne Heche car crash
The Los Angeles Police Department has ended its investigation into Anne Heche's car accident, when the actor crashed into a Los Angeles home on Aug. 5.
Backing up Ukraine's history: App creates 3D models of important cultural heritage
Volunteers armed with smartphones are using a 3D-modelling app to preserve Ukraine's cultural heritage one snap at a time.
More than 10,000 Canadians received a medically-assisted death in 2021: report
More Canadians are ending their lives with a medically-assisted death, says the third federal annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAID). Data shows that 10,064 people died in 2021 with medical aid, an increase of 32 per cent over 2020.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.