Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Thursday
Tonight's bonfire revelry and how toddlers are key to preventing closures are among the top stories in Denmark this Thursday.
Happy Sankt Hans Aften!
The Danish Meteorological Institute promises beautiful weather for the Sankt Hans Aften bonfires tonight, which are typically lit around 10 p.m. Expect sunny conditions and temperatures up to 26 degrees today (balmy!) and about 20 degrees this evening (though warmer if you're close to the bonfire).
READ ALSO: Witches and rain: Denmark’s Sankt Hans Aften explained
Here's Denmark's Covid plan for autumn and winter
Prime minister Mette Fredericksen, along with Denmark's top health officials, announced the country's corona strategy for the coming months in light of rising case counts attributed to the Omicron sub-variant BA.5, which scientists believe may be better able to circumvent immunity.
Don't expect many changes upfront — people over 50 in Denmark will have the chance to receive fourth doses (so that's second boosters) as of October 1st, while the "most vulnerable" will be eligible for their fourth shot as early as next week.
Rather than re-opening the rapid test centers that formed the backbone of Denmark's diagnosis and monitoring system in previous years, the government plans to increase the capacity of existing PCR testing centers.
READ ALSO:
- Denmark to offer all over-50s autumn Covid-19 vaccine
- What is Denmark’s Covid-19 testing strategy for the winter?
How to avoid closures? Get toddlers vaccinated — for the flu
Although PM Frederiksen is bullish about our chances of making it through the winter without Covid closures, the National Board of Health sees another road to shuttered schools and daycares — the flu.
By their calculations, a combined flu and Covid season could send hospitals into overload. "We know with the flu that the children are the motor, and therefore it is crucial to get them vaccinated," Jens Lundgren, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Copenhagen, tells TV2.
For the last season, only 30 percent of 2-6 year olds in Denmark received their flu vaccines — this year, officials are aiming for 90 percent participation.
Flu vaccinations for children will be available starting October 1st through your normal family doctor. And there's no need for a Bandaid, since it's usually administered via a nasal spray.
Denmark strengthens reporting requirements for suspected domestic violence
According to a new initiative, schoolteachers must report it if they see signs a student is experiencing or witnessing domestic violence in the home.
Making schoolteachers mandatory reporters is part of a 22-point plan designed to reduce intimate partner violence and partner killings, newspaper Politiken reports. It also includes additional training for midwives and other care providers who treat pregnant patients.
"We need to get involved," says Trine Bramsen, minister for gender equality. "That's the problem in Denmark. That we consider what goes on at home as something that is private and that we shouldn't interfere in. Violence is not private, and we will never get rid of it if we continue to be afraid to get involved."
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Happy Sankt Hans Aften!
The Danish Meteorological Institute promises beautiful weather for the Sankt Hans Aften bonfires tonight, which are typically lit around 10 p.m. Expect sunny conditions and temperatures up to 26 degrees today (balmy!) and about 20 degrees this evening (though warmer if you're close to the bonfire).
READ ALSO: Witches and rain: Denmark’s Sankt Hans Aften explained
Here's Denmark's Covid plan for autumn and winter
Prime minister Mette Fredericksen, along with Denmark's top health officials, announced the country's corona strategy for the coming months in light of rising case counts attributed to the Omicron sub-variant BA.5, which scientists believe may be better able to circumvent immunity.
Don't expect many changes upfront — people over 50 in Denmark will have the chance to receive fourth doses (so that's second boosters) as of October 1st, while the "most vulnerable" will be eligible for their fourth shot as early as next week.
Rather than re-opening the rapid test centers that formed the backbone of Denmark's diagnosis and monitoring system in previous years, the government plans to increase the capacity of existing PCR testing centers.
READ ALSO:
- Denmark to offer all over-50s autumn Covid-19 vaccine
- What is Denmark’s Covid-19 testing strategy for the winter?
How to avoid closures? Get toddlers vaccinated — for the flu
Although PM Frederiksen is bullish about our chances of making it through the winter without Covid closures, the National Board of Health sees another road to shuttered schools and daycares — the flu.
By their calculations, a combined flu and Covid season could send hospitals into overload. "We know with the flu that the children are the motor, and therefore it is crucial to get them vaccinated," Jens Lundgren, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Copenhagen, tells TV2.
For the last season, only 30 percent of 2-6 year olds in Denmark received their flu vaccines — this year, officials are aiming for 90 percent participation.
Flu vaccinations for children will be available starting October 1st through your normal family doctor. And there's no need for a Bandaid, since it's usually administered via a nasal spray.
Denmark strengthens reporting requirements for suspected domestic violence
According to a new initiative, schoolteachers must report it if they see signs a student is experiencing or witnessing domestic violence in the home.
Making schoolteachers mandatory reporters is part of a 22-point plan designed to reduce intimate partner violence and partner killings, newspaper Politiken reports. It also includes additional training for midwives and other care providers who treat pregnant patients.
"We need to get involved," says Trine Bramsen, minister for gender equality. "That's the problem in Denmark. That we consider what goes on at home as something that is private and that we shouldn't interfere in. Violence is not private, and we will never get rid of it if we continue to be afraid to get involved."
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