Sweden is heavily criticised for not ordering Covid vaccine
“We do not understand this decision. Valneva has one of the largest manufacturing facilities for vaccines in Sweden with many employees, and it should be in the Swedish government’s interest to ensure that vaccine production in Sweden is used for current and future pandemics. The Swedish vaccine strategy, to have access to a broad portfolio of different Covid-19 vaccines, is not in line with this decision,” says Janet Hoogstraate, Managing Director of Valneva Sweden AB to Life Science Sweden.
In April this year, Minister of Social Affairs Lena Hallengren (S) cut the ribbon at the inauguration of Valneva’s new vaccine factory in Solna – an event that Life Science Sweden has previously covered. The fact that Sweden now has a vaccine factory and thus a good future preparedness is an excellent milestone for Sweden and the life science sector, she told the newspaper at the time.
According to Janet Hoogstraate, it is gratifying that EU countries and their citizens now have access to the company’s vaccine, which is the only Covid-19 vaccine that has had standard market approval by the EMA. The vaccine is the only Covid vaccine that is based on a traditional manufacturing method – an inactivated whole virus vaccine.
“However, we regret that the Swedish population does not get access to Valneva’s Covid-19 vaccine,” she says.
All ordered vaccine doses are filled, inspected and packed at Valneva’s new factory in Solna and distributed to other countries from there. In the spring, the first doses were delivered to Bahrain from Solna, and the doses ordered by the EU countries will soon follow.
“Our employees in Sweden are highly involved in the production and deliveries of our Covid vaccine,” says Janet Hoogstraate.
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