Increase in proportion taking the first vaccine dose – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
I The news morning Tuesday morning, Camilla Stoltenberg says that during the last week there has been a doubling in the number of people who take the first vaccine sting against the corona. That is, from about 1000 per day to 2000.
At the same time, there are still about 400,000 unvaccinated adults in Norway. Stoltenberg still says that the number of people taking the first dose of vaccine will increase.
– There are many who need the vaccine quickly, and in addition there are very many now who receive the third dose, says Stoltenberg.
– More important to contribute
One of those who has taken the first vaccine dose recently is Øyvind Bjordal (49). He has also stood out with his story in Bergens Tidende, where he said that the pressure to get vaccinated eventually became too great.
Bjordal tells NRK that he no longer felt he had a real choice not to take the vaccine.
– This is not the time to insist on my own individual rights. I myself would have preferred to know more about the vaccine before I took it, but now it is more important to help society reopen.
– An act of solidarity where you put your own interests aside?
– Yes, even though I’m skeptical of the vaccine, I’m just as bored as everyone else. Now we must have a common lift so that everyone can be together again.
Changed test pattern
In the last 24 hours, 4,041 corona infections have been registered in Norway. That is 823 fewer than the same day last week. The infection trend in the last week is slightly declining.
When asked on NRK Nyhetsmorgen whether this gives cause for optimism, FHI director Camilla Stoltenberg answers:
– I will be careful about that.
Stoltenberg says she thinks the declining infection rates may be due to changed test patterns recently.
– It is good that the numbers decrease if it is real and due to the measures working. It may be that either all or part of it is due to it, but it may also be that people test themselves in a slightly different way – that fewer people test themselves first and foremost.
However, Assistant Director of Health Espen Rostrup Nakstad says VG that the new measures have probably contributed to a flattening of the corona infection and the number of admissions after several sharp jumps last week.
Slower than expected
Another thing Stoltenberg points out as a possible reason for the lower infection rates is that the omicron variant has not become dominant quite as quickly as feared.
– The measures may work and there is a flattening, possible decline, for the delta variant, but that the omicron variant has not taken off yet. We hope that it will not come as soon as we first assumed because the measures have been implemented, but we can not be sure.
– We heard yesterday that it is the dominant variant in the US now?
– Yes, it has gone very fast and we expect that it will go fast with us as well, even though we have implemented measures.
Different Christmas
This year’s Christmas will be like last year – different from the pandemic-free one. The NIPH director encourages people to take infection control measures seriously. It is allowed with a maximum of 10 people gathered in a private home, with the exception of a day during the holiday when you can be up to 20.
– How literally should one interpret the rules for the number of people? Is it the case that Uncle Even is not allowed to join because he is number 11?
– The most important thing with that advice is that you should offer a total man look and a total close contact. Then we talk about thinking carefully about how many people look at together. Those numbers are a guide for those cases where you deviate from it, where you allow yourself something more. You are only allowed to be five.
When asked by the host about whether the measures introduced on 15 December will be longer than the four weeks tentatively set, Stoltenberg is again cautious.
– I have bad experience with saying what is probable and a little better experience with seeing the different scenarios. One scenario is that the measures work, omikron not as serious as feared and that we see a good effect of the vaccine. The latter is especially important.