Face of Sweden’s controversial virus strategy gets WHO vaccine job | Labor health
STOCKHOLM (AP) – The chief epidemiologist who was considered the architect behind Sweden’s pandemic strategy, who avoided shutdowns but saw that the Scandinavian country earned one of the world’s highest covid-19 mortality per capita, will work for the World Health Organization.
The public health authority said on Wednesday that Anders Tegnell will start with the UN health authority on Monday. In Geneva, he will work on global vaccinations against the coronavirus, coordinating the activities of the WHO, UNICEF and the public-private vaccine organization Gavi.
“I have been working with vaccines for 30 years and at the same time have always been passionate about international issues,” Tegnell said in a statement. “It is still very important that the vaccines reach the countries that have not had the financial means to buy their own vaccines.”
Sweden stood out among European nations and large parts of the world for how it reacted to the pandemic. The government did not impose any restrictions that closed parts of the economy and instead relied on the citizens’ sense of civic duty to protect the population.
Swedish authorities advised residents to take a social distance, but schools, bars and restaurants remained open.
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