By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
On 27 December 2020, Denmark launched an ambitious vaccination program, where the goal is to offer vaccination against COVID-19 to all Danes aged 16 and over. The first target groups to be offered vaccination were the most vulnerable and the most vulnerable citizens, who risked the most difficult courses of the disease.
Initially, it was nursing home residents followed by people aged 65 and over who received practical help and personal care, frontline staff in the health and social services, selected people with a particularly increased risk of serious illness and selected relatives of these, as well as all citizens born in 1956 or earlier.
These citizens are invited for vaccination in nine separate target groups, and the total support for the first vaccination for these is almost 95 percent:
| 1. Nursing home residents | 95.7 |
| 2. Persons born in 1956 and older who receive practical help and personal care (65+ years) | 91.9 |
| 3. Persons born in 1936 and older (85+ years) | 95.4 |
| 4. Health care staff and parts of the social services | 98.4 |
| 5. Selected persons at particularly increased risk of serious illness | 92.6 |
| Selected relatives of persons at particularly increased risk of a serious course of illness | 91.8 |
| 7. Persons aged 80-84 years | 96.0 |
| 8. Persons aged 75-79 years | 95.8 |
| 9. Persons aged 65-74 years | 93.6 |
Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke:
It is extremely positive that the Danes are so willing to both protect themselves but also others from infection by being vaccinated. We know from studies that Danes have a high willingness to be vaccinated. But it makes me happy to see that it also translates into action. There are still many who need to be offered vaccination and I hope they will just as well say yes thank you. Vaccination is the key to putting the epidemic behind us, and to get there it requires a continued high level of support.
Vaccination rollout continues with the rest of the population over 16 years of age. All citizens over 50 are invited for vaccination, and the rest will receive an invitation soon.
