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Swedish politicians call for Covid vaccine pass requirement

Becky Waterton
Becky Waterton - [email protected]
Swedish politicians call for Covid vaccine pass requirement
STOCKHOLM 20210809 Restaurangpersonal på uteservering. Foto: Stina Stjernkvist / TT Kod 11610

Politicians in Stockholm and southern Swedish region Skåne are now calling for vaccine passes to be introduced for use in wider society. They are currently only used for travel purposes in Sweden.

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Anna Starbrink, the Liberal Party's regional councillor for healthcare in Stockholm, as well as Amelie Tarschys Ingre, deputy group leader of the Liberal Party in Stockholm, are calling for vaccine passes to be introduced for double-vaccinated individuals.

In their proposal, Starbrink and Ingre refer to measures being taken in other countries with increasing infection rates, and the risk that infection in Sweden may also begin to rise again. They also mention the Coronavirus Commission's recent report, which criticised the government for acting too slowly.

"The pandemic is far from over, infection rates are increasing dramatically in many neighbouring countries and in Sweden we are already seeing increased hospital admissions for Covid. We demand that the government act quickly to ensure that the Stockholm region and the whole country can remain open. This is why it needs to be made possible to use vaccine passes in society now. Sweden cannot make the same mistake again and wait too long to introduce infection control measures," said Starbrink in a statement.

They argue that vaccine passes will encourage more people to get vaccinated, while ensuring that society can remain open. More than 85 percent of Sweden's over-16 population have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, but health officials have said that they want to increase vaccine cover, especially in the 20-50 age group.

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"Freedom should not be limited more than necessary. Those who have acted responsibly and been vaccinated should be able to move freely, but for those who have not taken both doses, restrictions may be necessary. That's why a Covid pass should be introduced, which can then be used at those places and activities where it is deemed fit. In that way, we protect freedom, and increase motivation for more people to get vaccinated," said Tarschys Ingre.

Starbrink and Ingre are not the first to call for vaccine passes in Sweden. Last week, two regional councillors for Skåne, Liberal Gilbert Tribo and Moderate Anna Mannfalk, also did so, referencing the Danish government's decision to reintroduce the passes in the neighbouring country.

"People need to feel that they can continue to live in our newly reopened society. There's a risk now that winter is coming that spread of infection will increase, and therefore we need to take responsibility on a national level and introduce corona passes," said Mannfalk in a press statement.

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Sara Byfors, an expert at the Swedish Public Health Agency, said in a press conference on November 11th that evidence in Denmark that the reintroduction of vaccine passes motivated the unvaccinated to get their injections could be "a reason for introducing vaccine passes in Sweden", adding that a proposal to introduce vaccine passes had been prepared, "if we see that this is necessary".

When asked about calls from politicians in Skåne to introduce vaccine passes in further areas of Swedish society, potentially including restaurants and theatres, Byfors said that the Public Health Agency are "looking at this as a possible measure, if we can see that it would have an effect on limiting the spread of infection and, above all, reduce pressure on healthcare".

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Anonymous 2021/11/23 14:37
Somehow they have to arrange for the many vaccines they have ordered to be given to someone....It costs what it costs....freedom? democracy? Autonomy? legality? Whoever cares?
Anonymous 2021/11/17 10:54
I can positively say that vaccine passes in Italy have done NOTHING for decreasing infections and hospital admissions, but only contributed to dividing society further, increasing hate and diffidence between citizens. They are totally ineffective (given that vaccine DOES NOT prevent infection!), but a real danger to civil and personal liberties. I am astonished to read that Sweden, that happily for its own citizens, chose a totally different path from all other European countries by not having any lockdown, masks, nor most of all the other silly restrictive measures that made life to people miserable, are now prone to falling in the same trap! Which is even more absurd, given the very low rate of both infections and death rate in Sweden right now, compared to all other countries where the vaccine passport is already in force, or is going to be! Not to say, that most people who are rightly diffident towards being vaccinated, have already got Covid, and have thus achieved natural immunity, like myself!
  • Anonymous 2021/11/18 11:27
    Totally agree with your standpoint, take into account that the coronapas requirement is coming from politicians, not from the people, that's the flaw in our so-called democracy, the lobbies are pressuring politicians to apply on us all kind of restrictions, and it's not only happening in Sweden as you said, it's happening all over the western 'liberal' democracies transitioning slowly and steadly into tirannies if we don't stop them
Anonymous 2021/11/17 08:27
I wonder what they will do for those who were vaccinated outside of Sweden with the approved vaccines. There is still no capability to register those vaccinations on the app. And what about vaccinated individuals who only have a reservnummer? If they propose such a plan, they should make sure their system recognizes all vaccinated individuals.
Anonymous 2021/11/16 20:45
If you like to see what these irrational passes do look at germany austria etc, a totally split up society. Further if you look at the european figures this vaccination mRna is dangerous we never ever had this amount of side effevts.
Anonymous 2021/11/16 18:45
"Liberal" seems to be a big joke, here. How about big pharma dollar oriented? That's why this so called party only has 5% in parlament. Why do you give room to this awful propaganda, which has destroyed societes in various countries already, here? One thing is for sure: I will no cancel my subscription of "the local", now. Sorry, but I not going to support any of this irradical, discrimination oriented propagand for a second, anymore!
  • Anonymous 2021/11/16 18:46
    typo: will cancel it, now. That's how upset this got me;-)
Anonymous 2021/11/16 15:54
Liberal, you say?

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