This past Wednesday, Denmark became the first nation to temporarily suspend its COVID-19 vaccination program, given that the spread of the virus are now virtually under control in the country.
"Spring has arrived, vaccine coverage in the Danish population is high, and the epidemic has reversed," the Danish Health Authority said in a press statement this past Wednesday. "Therefore, the National Board of Health is now ending the broad vaccination efforts against COVID-19 for this season."
When it comes to vaccinations, 89% of individuals over age 12 in Denmark have received them, whereas 76% of adults have received booster shots, according to official data.
According to Our World in Data, Denmark recorded 1,386 new cases of the virus on Wednesday. However, in an email statement, the Danish Health Authority told Fortune that the situation with COVID-19 in Denmark was looking up.
That does not mean that Danish health authorities will be stopping people from getting vaccinated. They said that people will still be permitted to receive vaccinations over the spring and summer if they so desire. Bolette Søborg, director of the department of preparedness and infectious diseases at the Danish Health Authority, asserted the potential health risks that could occur if patients continue to go unvaccinated over age 40, or in situations including pregnancy and those with compromised immune systems.
Because of health risk factors such as these, Denmark will likely not suspend its vaccination program for good. On a global level, there have been a wide variety of reactions regarding COVID-19 restrictions that have been put into place. In countries like the United States and Europe, most COVID restrictions have been lifted, but in places such as China, strict rules are still being enforced regarding COVID-19.
Because of the strong possibility that another variant of the virus will come out again in the fall, Denmark reported that it will likely need future vaccination at that time. Though the exact future is still unknown, Denmark seems ready to take the necessary precautions in the event of another variant in the fall.