– There is no good reason to weaken Norway’s protection against the coronavirus because other countries have not gone far enough in their vaccination programmes, Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie told NRK.

Until now, the government has stated that there is no need for a third dose of coronary vaccine.

Høie said that if a third dose of the vaccine was needed, Norway would use it.

– It is possible to do two things at the same time. We can protect our own population and help everyone in other countries get a vaccine, he said.

Ask rich countries to wait

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked rich countries to wait to give their citizens a third dose until 10 percent of the population in all countries vaccinated.

“We must focus on getting those who are most vulnerable, and most at risk of serious illness and possibly death, vaccinated with two injections,” said WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus.

According to the head of the WHO, it has not been scientifically proven that the third dose for those who have received two prevents the spread of coronary heart disease.

The WHO wants plans to delay the third dose, at least until September, so that all countries in the world will have the opportunity to give at least 10 percent of their citizens the first dose.

Tedros points out that more than 80 percent of all coronary vaccines to date have been given to the wealthy, even though they only cover half of the Earth’s population. More than 4 billion doses have been distributed worldwide.

More countries will use “booster dose”

Israel, Germany and France have chosen to ignore WHO recommendations and plan to release so-called “booster doses”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France was working to distribute the triple dose by September.

“Yes, we may need a third dose, not for everyone at once, but at least for the elderly and the most vulnerable,” Macron said last week.

Germany is working on a similar plan. The Ministry of Health stated that it will offer additional doses in September for the elderly and people in at-risk groups.

In Israel, more than 400,000 people have received the third dose and 85 percent of the adult population has been fully vaccinated.

The country is still experiencing an increase in infection rates after the more contagious delta variant spread across the country.

Oblique distribution

The United States also rejected the WHO chief’s call to give poor countries vaccine doses, instead giving their own citizens a third shot.

– We feel that this is the wrong choice and can do both, said spokesman for President Joe Biden Jen Psaki last week.

Based on WHO overview of vaccinations in the world more than half in rich countries have received at least one dose of the vaccine. At the same time, more than 1 percent of the population in poor countries have accepted the same.

– I understand that authorities around the world want to protect their populations from delta variants. But we cannot accept that countries that have used the most vaccines are using even more, said WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus.