It is patient groups with severely weakened immune systems that since 1 September have been offered a third dose of coronavina vaccine, following a recommendation from the Swedish Public Health Agency, which has consulted with the Swedish Academy of Sciences' expert group on covid-19.
These may be people who have a severe congenital immune deficiency or who have a weakened immune system due to, for example, dialysis treatment, advanced HIV or treatment for autoimmune diseases.
- There are both people who have congenital immune deficiency diseases and people who are treated with drugs that lower the immune system, for example in organ transplantation.
They respond less well to the first two doses and have an extra large need for a third rapid refill dose, says vaccine researcher Jan Holmgren at the University of Gothenburg, who is part of the expert group.
The vaccine protection is fading
In the fact box below you can see all the groups that are affected.
According to the assessment, there are at least 40,000 people over the age of 18 who can be recommended a third dose after assessment by a doctor.
- There will be a need for a refill dose for healthcare professionals who are directly exposed to covid infection, which is also one of those who received the vaccine at the earliest in Sweden, where there is a risk that vaccine protection is declining.
The same applies to older people, who live in special housing or have home health care, says Jan Holmgren.
Decisions about which additional groups will be affected are expected in the near future, according to Sara Byfors at the Swedish Public Health Agency.
Can be like the flu vaccine
Next year, vaccination should be started on the elderly over the age of 65, according to the Swedish Academy of Sciences' expert group and later also the rest of the population.
The hope is that as the vaccine develops and gets better, fewer refill doses will be required.
- The probability is high that we will have covid for several years to come and that it will be something like the flu vaccine.
Whether it will be every year or longer intervals can be maintained depends on which new vaccines emerge, says Jan Holmgren.
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Photo: TT / SVT