Large parts of Europe are green on the infection map of FHI, which means that you can travel home to Norway without having to be quarantined as unvaccinated.
Still, it’s not quite that simple. Each country has its own separate rules for what applies on arrival.
Some European countries are struggling to get people to get vaccinated, but Sweden’s vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström thinks more people will get vaccinated to have a simpler – and safer – life on the road eventually.
Bergström negotiates vaccine doses on behalf of the EU, and is also the one who secures doses for Norway.
– ROOT: It is complicated to travel now, and vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström thinks it will lead to more people taking the vaccine. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist / TT / NTB
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– I think the different travel rules we have now will affect people who want to travel and think “oh, this was difficult”. In the countries this applies, they have a number of laggards, and they think I will regret it and will get vaccinated after the summer, he says to TV 2.
Another reason why he thinks more people will be vaccinated is because he thinks private actors will eventually require vaccination, such as hotels, festivals and sporting events.
Not without risk
In Norway, several municipalities experience that young people travel on holiday rather than attending vaccination classes. It is not without risk, Bergström believes.
– It is above all a problem that you still travel on holiday. That you travel to Spain, Italy or other places and then come home, says the vaccine coordinator.
He points out that on Monday Sweden introduced a recommendation that Swedish citizens must test themselves when they return home from traveling outside the Nordic region.
The authorities have seen that people have taken the infection home from holiday after attending nightclubs and pubs. In Norway, too, this is an entry requirement for the unvaccinated.
– It is unfortunate if you wait to take a vaccine dose to be able to go to Spain. It’s risky. There is quite a risk of coming home with covid-19, says Bergström.
On Tuesday, Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Monica Mæland said TV 2 that she does not rule out that fully vaccinated must be in the entry quarantine if the situation so requires.
“Currently, we have no basis for making such changes,” she said.
May be stricter
Eventually, it will also be opened for travel to countries outside Europe, and then one can not ignore that more countries will require to be vaccinated to enter the country, says Bergström.
– Above all, I think the vaccine requirement can apply in Asia, where SARS and MERS have previously been tackled (viruses that originated on the continent in 2002 and 2012, editor’s note). I can also imagine that it will be a requirement to enter the United States, says Bergström.
– ABOVE: Bulgaria and Romania have given up doses because they are struggling to get people to take the vaccine. In Norway, the vaccine level can be up to 95 percent, which is “incredibly good”, says vaccine dealer Richard Bergström. Photo: Javier Torres / AFP / NTB
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He says that the challenge ahead will be to establish certificates that can be used all over the world, especially when it comes to those who have undergone covid-19.
Another discussion is which vaccines should be approved in the certificate.
– There has been some noise now that the EU Commission believes EU-approved vaccines should give EU certificates, but there are countries in the world that use other vaccines, such as Chinese and Russian vaccines, says Bergström and continues:
– I think this will still be messy the next six months and year. It is very complicated to travel right now, he says.
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Multiple doses
The countries that have vaccinated the fewest in the EU are Bulgaria and Romania. In the former, 14.5 percent of the population is vaccinated with one dose, and in Romania the figure is 24.5. In comparison, 55.8 per cent of Norway’s population has been vaccinated with one dose.
Low vaccination rates have led to countries not receiving more vaccines. Instead, it goes to the common EU pot, which means that the rest of the union receives several doses. According to Bergström, Norway can get up to 30 percent more doses.
Although it is voluntary to take the vaccine, Bergström believes that it will become commonplace over time, such as taking childhood vaccines, HPV vaccines and travel vaccines.
– Taking the vaccine against covid-19 I think will gradually be de-dramatized, especially when you see how many people take it and how few get side effects, he says and continues:
– The longer the time goes by, the more people will take the vaccine, I think.
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