'Absurd Inequality': Swedish Profs Against Booster Shots, Call to Vaccinate Poor Countries First

According to Swedish professors, it is important to vaccinate globally both to save lives and to prevent the virus from mutating, as a broad spread is fraught with new strains. At the same time, it was conceded that vaccines are unlikely to provide lifelong protection.

While Sweden is already preparing the rollout of third doses of COVID shots to the vulnerable population groups already this autumn, several professors have are insisting that  the population in poorer countries should be vaccinated first in order to avoid a global disaster.

“We see no signs that anyone is losing immunity, but on the other hand there is nothing to suggest that these vaccines provide lifelong immunity. Instead booster shots will be needed, the only question is when and if everyone needs a refill dose,” state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said, announcing re-vaccination amid concerns of waning vaccine protection.

Israel became the first country to offer a third dose to its population, while Germany and France plan to roll out the third dose to certain risk groups in September.

Anna Mia Ekström, a professor of global infection epidemiology and chief physician of infection at the Karolinska Institute, has argued that it is unreasonable that the richer countries are now starting re-vaccination despite the fact that researchers don't fully agree that it is needed yet.

“Right now, more than half of the citizens in high-income countries have received a first dose, and most even a second dose, while only 1 percent in low-income countries have received a first dose. So this is an absurd inequality we are talking about,” Anna Mia Ekström told Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

“We know that as an unvaccinated person you run a much greater risk of becoming ill and dying, and the pandemic also leads to catastrophic shutdowns with terrible consequences in the form of poverty, starvation and child mortality in poorer countries. That they get a first and a second dose is extremely much more important than that we in the richer countries give a third dose right now, which may only have a marginal effect,” she added.

She is supported by Ali Mirazimi, a fellow professor of clinical virology at the Karolinska Institute and part-time employee at the Swedish Public Health Agency. He also argued that instead of “pushing the button” after being prompted by signals from England and Israel about waning vaccine protection, the emphasis should be put on helping the poorer countries. According to Mirazimi, it is important to vaccinate globally both to save lives, and to prevent the virus from mutating.

“If we have a broad spread somewhere else in the world, new strains of the virus can emerge. Sooner or later, there will be variants that the vaccine does not bite on, and then the carousel starts all over again,” he said. At the same time, he conceded that vaccines will “in all probability won't provide lifelong protection” and that “sooner or later the protection will disappear”.

Earlier in August, the World Health Organisation WHO urged the rich countries to put the decision to administer booster shots on hold. The WHO hopes that at least 10 percent of the world's population will be vaccinated before offering a third dose.

“I think it is entirely reasonable that we in Sweden and Finland will lead by example and say that we think that the WHO's appeal is fully reasonable, we support it,” Ekström concluded.

Sweden has to date seen 1.1 million COVID-19 cases and about 15,000 fatalities, more than the rest of the Nordic countries combined. So far, it has fully vaccinated some 43 percent of its population.