Today, vaccine passes are required for indoor events with more than 100 participants.

The Vasaloppet week is admittedly an outdoor event, but with around 60,000 participants, risk situations can arise during transport, at hostels and in changing rooms.

Vasaloppet officially wants to wait for information from the Swedish Public Health Agency before making a decision on the matter.

But now CEO Johan Eriksson makes a personal statement in which he wishes to introduce vaccination passports:

- It would be natural and you can have that requirement on us.

"Creates security"

Johan Eriksson continues:

- A personal reflection is that it would not only be a disadvantage of vaccination passes, but it would strengthen our business.

It creates security and would be a natural step.

What prevents Vasaloppet from making the decision on vaccination passes without waiting for information from the Public Health Agency?

- We try to stick to decisions or advice from society and authorities.

If we take our own deviations from it, regardless of direction, there will always be demarcations and communication challenges and other sanctions, Johan Eriksson answers and continues:

- If we come to the purely sporting, or event issues, where we feel that we have great experience and knowledge, we can develop and go ahead.

But we have great respect for the knowledge that others have in this area (pandemic) and then it is greater security to follow them.

We think the authorities have acted well and have had no reason to challenge them.

Johan Eriksson says that there are thoughts on how controls of vaccination passes could be organized.

This can, for example, take place in connection with the number tag distribution.

He also says that the Vasaloppet could create these routines in a short time, from the time a possible message comes from the government and the Public Health Agency.

The doctor agrees

Helena Ernlund, who is an infection control doctor in Dalarna, supports Johan Eriksson's request for a vaccination pass in the Vasaloppet:

- I think it would be wise. Vaccination is the most important thing against the pandemic, but then we still have to keep our distance.

Helena Ernlund continues:

- There (in Vasaloppet) there are risk situations such as showering, food and so on.

We and the county administrative board have had meetings about this with Vasaloppet, which has wise thoughts to steer it.