Halland, a county just south of Gotheburg (Göteborg) on the west coast of Sweden, isn’t pulling any punches: persons under 65 won’t be vaccinated until August, SVT reports.
The plan was that most everyone was going to get the first dose sometime in April and that everyone would have gotten the second dose by midsummer – late June . However, the latest with the internationally unpopular but at least local vaccine, from half-Swedish Astra Zeneca, is that the second dose needs a ten-week interval from the first dose. Which pushes the second dose date weeks later, in August.
It was unclear how many actually believed the original prediction, but for some it is undoubtedly a gut punch. It also leaves other counties’ residents wondering how much their representatives’ promises are worth. Time to revisit those summer travel plans – again.
Sweden today went out with a travel advisory regarding the Wuhan area in China, where the Corona virus has its epicentrum: “One should refrain from traveling in the Hubei region if it is not absolutely necessary.” Earlier today, both Denmark and Norway went out with similar advisories, DN reports.
Japan has arranged to evacuate 430 of its citizens out from the Wuhan area via a specially chartered plane, and France and Russia are currently negotiating for the evacuation of their citizens, SvD writes.
How worried should we be? Anders Tegnell, epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten), says his understanding of the situation has now changed a bit. “In the beginning, I was feeling more secure. But now the picture has changed a little.” “Just now,” he added, “we’re in an early stage of infection, and it is restricted to a relatively limited area. And the Chinese have apparently the possibility to reduce travel enormously. This should reduce the rate it spreads. But sooner or later someone will slip through.”
Hospitals’ scenarios assume that someone will come in after a trip to China, feeling ill, DN notes. At this point, they will run some tests to see if they are infected with the virus. This will take 5 or 6 hours since the sample has to be taken by car or by plane to the Health Agency’s lab in Solna. If the results are positive, they’ll be isolated because of contagion, and the staff must wear protective clothing when in contact with the patient. China has said the number of infections is now just over 2000.
Dick Harrison, resident historian at SvD, is on record saying that the chances for any recurrence of the Black Death are minimal. So that’s good news.
