Sweden to begin administering 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose this fall

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - Sweden will begin administering a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine this fall, local media reported on Thursday.

Speaking to Swedish daily Aftonbladet, Richard Bergstrom, the country's vaccination coordinator, said the spread of COVID-19 is on the rise in several countries, as the virus has mutated.

“Although more than half of the population in Israel is fully vaccinated, they are infected by the Delta variant. Fortunately, these are not serious cases,” he noted.

Bergstrom said people have become infected after receiving two doses of vaccine, suggesting everyone must be careful. A third dose should be given, he added.

He said the county is also preparing for a fourth dose expected to be administered in the future.

“Several studies show that getting a third dose of any vaccination boosts the immune system again, even against variants,” he explained.

The Nordic country with a population of 10 million has reported over 1.09 million cases and 14,642 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to Swedish Public Health Agency.

Sweden is one of the few countries that did not introduce strict lockdown measures, and relied on public recommendations to stem the virus spread.​​​​​​​