Vaccine coordinator: "Important to know that there is an uncertainty"

Next year, Richard Bergström expects that the vaccinations against the coronavirus will start.

But it may be some time before there is protection for all sections of the population.

- We will have a good vaccine for the entire population, but not tomorrow, not in the first quarter, not in the second quarter but rather at the end of next year or at the beginning of the following year, says Richard Bergström.

One of the companies with which Sweden has signed an agreement is the pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca.

- By graduating with different types of vaccine, we will have a good flow next year, but it will be limited in the beginning, says Richard Bergström in Aktuellt.

At least 500 million doses

There is currently no vaccine against the coronavirus that has actually been approved.

Richard Bergström, on the other hand, is not worried that they promise too much when it comes to starting to distribute vaccines in the coming years.

- We have different technologies that we invest in, different companies and different manufacturers.

Therefore, I feel confident in saying that next year the EU will have access to at least 500 million doses, says Richard Bergström in Aktuellt.

"Looks promising"

The effects have been questioned and no vaccine provides 100% protection.

Gunilla Karlsson Hedestam, professor of vaccine immunology at Karolinska Institutet, has previously criticized the decision to sign agreements on millions of doses of vaccine where no results have yet been seen.

However, Richard Bergström is optimistic.

- It looks promising so far.

- But we have to see if they have a protective effect, which we see in phase 3 results, he says.

Understand the uncertainty

At the same time, there is some concern among the population regarding the new vaccines that are now being developed.

Not least due to the side effects of the swine flu vaccine a few years ago.

- We have no reason to believe that these vaccines would entail a greater risk of side effects than others.

But is there a risk?

- The risk is always there.

There are no medicines and vaccines that are completely safe.

But we do large trials with 30,000 - 50,000 people to catch rare side effects, says Richard Bergström.

Here you can see the whole part in Aktuellt which was about vaccines.