The National Board of Health calls for only those who are particularly vulnerable to be vaccinated against influenza.
It is so popular to get a small sting in the arm that the National Board of Health fears that there will be a shortage of flu vaccines .
The flu vaccine is so popular this year that the country’s pharmacies alone have infected 120,000 Danes in a week and a half. That’s as many as in a normal full flu season.
Therefore, only people over the age of 65 and particularly vulnerable groups should be vaccinated against influenza , and everyone else should preferably not, says chief physician at the National Board of Health Bolette Søgaard.
– The National Board of Health calls for the flu vaccines to be used first and foremost for those who are at risk of having a serious course of influenza.
It causes pharmacies and doctors to withdraw the needle and say no to patients who are not at risk.
Colossal demand
In Skødstrup Lægepraksis, for example, doctor Roar Maagaard has closed for appointments for the flu vaccine .
“Unfortunately, this means that we have to slow down and that we cannot live up to what we have promised our patients,” he says.
In Skødstrup Lægepraksis, as many patients have been vaccinated in the first seven days as in the entire last flu season, Roar Maagaard informs.
– The demand has been absolutely colossal. We see a lot of patients in the target group who were not vaccinated last year, who are coming this year. So the population has listened to the advice from the National Board of Health and the serum institute, he says.
The great demand is not least due to the fact that the Health Authorities have announced that the vaccine is extra important this year. Then one can hopefully avoid that seriously ill flu patients and corona patients have to compete for the same hospital beds.
Astonishment and anger
That announcement leaves dissatisfied patients on the phone with many GPs when they are told that the vaccine is now reserved for special groups.
This is what Bruno Meldgaard, deputy chairman of the general practitioners’ organization in Central Jutland, says.
