Norway to provide vaccine free to citizens

This article is more than 12 months old

Oct 14, 2020 06:00 am

OSLO: Norway will provide a vaccine against Covid-19 free of charge to its citizens when one becomes available, the government said yesterday, and this would become part of the country's national vaccination programme.

"We want as many people as possible to get the offer of receiving a safe and effective vaccine. This is why vaccination will be free of charge," Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in a statement.

"The EU has so far entered into agreements with three different vaccine manufacturers, and is negotiating agreements with several other manufacturers. Norway is covered by these agreements through resale agreements with Sweden," the government said.

Norway is not a member of the European Union. Sweden, an EU member and Norway's neighbour, will buy more of the vaccines than it needs and then sell them on to Norway.

Norway is also part of Covax, the global scheme for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines backed by the World Health Organisation, joined by 171 nations including China, but shunned by the United States and Russia. - REUTERS