The Norwegian government has announced that is is to redistribute the ongoing vaccination program so doses will go to critical staff in the government and the Norwegian royal court.
On Wednesday evening, the royal court announced that they agree to be given priority in the vaccination and that this means that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon will go to the front of the queue and receive his first vaccine dose this week. The Royal Court has been given eleven extra doses of vaccine by the Government.
On Tuesday, it became known that the Norwegian royal family has been offered vaccinations against Covid-19 after the government decided to set aside 500 doses for critical personnel. The government, parliament and several other institutions are among those that have been given priority in the vaccine queue.
Their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja have already been fully vaccinated. They received their first jabs in mid-January, and were fully vaccinated on 4 February. The King and Queen were also prioritised by the government and went ahead of others in the queue. Crown Princess Mette Marit is in the vulnerable risk groups due to her chronic lung disease and is therefore also fully vaccinated.
The fact that the royals have been prioritised has been met with great understanding; but the fact that the parliamentarians and members of the government are jumping the queue has been met with great opposition and debate in Norway. Minister of Health, Bent Høie, declined his own government’s offer and will not take the vaccine at this point. On Monday, 125 municipal chief physicians protested the priority and ask the government to change the decision.
Politicians have also spoken out to change the decision so as not to increase the people’s contempt for politicians. Conservative politician Michael Tetzschner draws a parallel to King Olav who took the tram when Norway and the world faced a massive oil shortage in 1973. He says: “King Olav showed a very good understanding of the situation when he took the tram when he was going out skiing during the oil crisis, while it was forbidden to drive a car on Saturdays and Sundays. I think that the Parliament as an organization should also show the same understanding of the situation today.”
