Reader question: Can I get the flu vaccine for free in Sweden?
Who can get the influenza vaccine for free in Sweden, and how much does it cost if you're not eligible?
The flu vaccine is recommended and generally offered for free in Sweden to people who belong to one of the following risk groups: If you’re aged 65 or older, if you’re pregnant (usually after week 16 of your pregnancy), if you have a heart condition, a lung condition (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or severe asthma), diabetes, a severely weakened immune system due to illness or treatment, chronic liver or kidney failure, a neuromuscular disease that affects your breathing or multiple disabilities, or if you are severely obese.
Sometimes a doctor’s assessment may be required. If you live together with someone with a severely weakened immune system you are also advised to get vaccinated, as are children who have certain serious health conditions and who are older than six months.
Sweden's 21 regions are allowed to set their prices independently, but the flu vaccine is usually always free for risk groups. If you belong to a risk group and would like to get vaccinated before the official influenza vaccination season starts, you may have to pay for it, however.
If you do not belong to a risk group, your risk of getting seriously ill from the flu is seen as considerably lower and you can’t get the vaccine for free. You can still get vaccinated if you pay for it yourself. It usually costs around 200-400 kronor depending on where in Sweden you live.
Vaccinations of risk groups for the 2023/24 flu season will get under way on November 7th. The vaccine is then usually rolled out to non-risk groups a few weeks later, but the exact date again depends on where in Sweden you live.
For specific information about your region, go to the page vaccination mot influensa (“vaccination against influenza”) on the 1177.se healthcare website, then at the top of the page click välj region (“choose region”). Then scroll down to your regional information.
Do you have a question for The Local about life in Sweden? Email our editorial team at [email protected]. We're not able to reply to every single email, but we read them all and if your question is relevant to our wider audience we may answer it in an article on the site.
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The flu vaccine is recommended and generally offered for free in Sweden to people who belong to one of the following risk groups: If you’re aged 65 or older, if you’re pregnant (usually after week 16 of your pregnancy), if you have a heart condition, a lung condition (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or severe asthma), diabetes, a severely weakened immune system due to illness or treatment, chronic liver or kidney failure, a neuromuscular disease that affects your breathing or multiple disabilities, or if you are severely obese.
Sometimes a doctor’s assessment may be required. If you live together with someone with a severely weakened immune system you are also advised to get vaccinated, as are children who have certain serious health conditions and who are older than six months.
Sweden's 21 regions are allowed to set their prices independently, but the flu vaccine is usually always free for risk groups. If you belong to a risk group and would like to get vaccinated before the official influenza vaccination season starts, you may have to pay for it, however.
If you do not belong to a risk group, your risk of getting seriously ill from the flu is seen as considerably lower and you can’t get the vaccine for free. You can still get vaccinated if you pay for it yourself. It usually costs around 200-400 kronor depending on where in Sweden you live.
Vaccinations of risk groups for the 2023/24 flu season will get under way on November 7th. The vaccine is then usually rolled out to non-risk groups a few weeks later, but the exact date again depends on where in Sweden you live.
For specific information about your region, go to the page vaccination mot influensa (“vaccination against influenza”) on the 1177.se healthcare website, then at the top of the page click välj region (“choose region”). Then scroll down to your regional information.
Do you have a question for The Local about life in Sweden? Email our editorial team at [email protected]. We're not able to reply to every single email, but we read them all and if your question is relevant to our wider audience we may answer it in an article on the site.
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