On Friday afternoon, Minister of Health Bent Høie (H) announced that Norway not far away a normal everyday life with increased preparedness, where people are little affected by the pandemic in everyday life.
All the country’s municipalities were invited in advance meeting with the health authorities. The meeting was exempt from public access, but the topic was dialogue on the content of “normal everyday life with increased preparedness” – ie the term the government uses for the reopening of Norway.
– More dangerous for everyone
– Et problem
Porsgrunn mayor Robin Kåss (Labor Party), who attended the meeting, tells Dagbladet that he gave a short speech with his views – where he spoke to get rid of skepticism and rumors about the Moderna vaccine as the country slowly but surely reopened.
– I think it is an unreasonable burden that those who choose to take the vaccine, must have to take very great account of those who voluntarily choose not to get vaccinated. Here, I believe that we must intensify the work of reaching out with information and offers, and then I think that we are very close to a time to open up completely, he says.
MAYOR: Robin Martin Kåss (Labor Party) in Porsgrunn. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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The mayor has the impression that skepticism about the Moderna vaccine is a problem throughout the country.
– It does not take much before a reputation settles, and then it is important to have offensive information related to it, says Kåss.
Decided in advance
In Bergen it is previously expressed fear for that one may have to throw thousands of doses because people are skeptical of the Moderna vaccine.
When Bergen at the end of July began to receive several doses of the vaccine type, the vaccine centers experienced that more people left the vaccination room when it was Moderna they were offered.
– We try to argue objectively and soberly that Moderna is at least as good a vaccine as Pfizer, but there are some who have decided in advance, said assistant infection control chief Kjell Haug to Bergens Tidende.
He thinks the skepticism is due to that Modernity is a stronger vaccine, and that people therefore get more symptoms.
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Familiar with skepticism
Chief physician Are Stuwitz Berg at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) tells Dagbladet that FHI is well aware that some people want the vaccine from Pfizer instead of Moderna – and especially among those who received the Pfizer vaccine as dose 1.
– It seems that there are some who are skeptical about combining the two vaccines, even though we have tried to communicate clearly that we see no reason for this. Others do not want to combine the two vaccines because some countries state that you must be vaccinated with two doses of the same vaccine to get relief in the entry restrictions, he says.
SUPERIOR: Are Stuwitz Berg at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH). Photo: Torstein Bøe / NTB
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– What kind of encouragement do you have for those who are skeptical?
– These two vaccines are very similar and have a very good effect, but you must take both doses in order for them to prevent infection as much as possible. We encourage everyone to accept an offer of dose 2, regardless of which vaccine they are offered, says Stuwitz Berg.
Information campaign
The mayor of Porsgrunn says that they see a part of the municipality that only takes the first dose of the corona vaccine. In Porsgrunn, 88.9 percent of the population over the age of 18 have received the first dose, while 69.8 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to the municipality’s website.
– Maybe on the way out of the fourth wave
– You need two doses to have complete protection. What is obvious now is that there is a part that has only one dose. If people themselves choose to make an informed choice not to get vaccinated, or just take one dose, okay – then they have made that choice, says Kåss, and adds:
– But what is a pity is if you open up society, at the same time as people have not been fully vaccinated as a result of misinformation and rumors. When approaching a full reopening, one should perhaps have a full information campaign, he says.
4,046,969 people have been vaccinated with the first dose of corona vaccine on a national basis, FHI’s statistics show on Sunday. 3,539,764 people have received a second dose.
