Vaccination against covid-19 is underway in Sweden and the regions follow the Public Health Agency's prioritization order.

But LO is not satisfied.

- There are fewer than one in 10 who can actually work from home.

The rest must go to work.

We see that the LO union's members have been hit much much harder by covid-19.

It is nothing more than an understatement, says LO's chairman Susanna Gideonsson during a press conference.

"Forced to continue going to work"

LO therefore demands that certain occupational groups, who must meet people in their work, be given priority for vaccination, according to risk groups and care staff.

These are staff in childcare, public transport, transport and trade.

- We know that a larger proportion of bus drivers have been infected, for example, says Susanna Gideonsson.

- They will be forced to continue going to work.

However, LO does not have its own priority list for occupational groups.

Tegnell: No higher risk of becoming seriously ill

However, the Public Health Agency's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell sees no reason to change the order of priority.

- Most people in LO's groups probably do not have a higher risk of becoming seriously ill.

If there is an increased risk, it is probably more linked to socio-economic factors, such as overcrowding.

The prioritization that has been made has been made to reduce the disease burden and mortality in covid-19.

- Then there are discussions about vaccinating to maintain certain activities and that is what is behind the fact that the regions think that it is absolutely necessary to vaccinate some of the care staff, says Anders Tegnell.

The next step in the order of priority is to reduce the spread of infection in society, but here too the Swedish Public Health Agency does not believe that so-called “contact-oriented occupations” should be given priority.

- If the available forecasts hold, there will be very plenty of vaccines then.

The focus in that situation will be very much to reach as many as possible, as soon as possible, and the signals from the regions are that you want as few priorities as possible.

It always complicates that you have to target special groups, there is a risk that you lose speed then.