Sweden to offer fourth COVID vaccine jab to people aged 65 and above

People wait to get a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a night club which was turned into a mass vaccination center, in Stockholm, Sweden, April 16, 2021.

Sweden will give a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 65 and above to boost their defences against the disease, the health agency said on Monday.

"For people aged 65 and over, it is now four months since the previous vaccine dose, and the protective effect of the vaccine diminishes over time," the Health Agency said in a statement.

Sweden had previously offered a fourth jab to people aged 80 or older.

Sweden abolished almost all restrictions in early March. It is hard to gauge the level of spread in Sweden as large-scale testing has ceased, but the number of patients requiring intensive care is the lowest in 18 months.

Source: Reuters / Reporting by Johan Ahlander; editing by Niklas Pollard