Randomised vaccinations could begin after the weekend, RÚV reports. The authorities hope to vaccinate all individuals born before 1976 and everyone with underlying conditions by the end of next week.
14,000 doses next week
An estimated 14,000 vaccine doses will be administered in the Greater Reykjavík Area next week: Pfizer on Tuesday, Modern on Wednesday, and Jansen on Thursday. The authorities also expect the arrival of an additional 20,000 vaccine doses in two weeks time, with any leftover doses being earmarked for randomised vaccination, which could begin as early as next week.
Pulled from “a hat or a mug”
In an interview with RÚV, Ragnheiður Ósk Erlendsdóttir, Director of Nursing at the Capital Area Healthcare Centres, stated that unvaccinated individuals will be grouped based on their year of birth: “We’re going to put all these individuals together on the basis of birth year, and then we’re going to pull them out of a hat, or a mug, with either women or men from the given year of birth being selected.”
When asked if this means that being selected would be a bit like winning the lotto, Ragnheiður replied in the affirmative: “Yes, you could say so. It’s this kind of vaccination lottery. Being born in 1975 or later will be the criteria for entry, I expect.”
75% by the end of June
As of late May, over 44% of Iceland’s population had received one or both doses of the vaccine while over 21% had been fully vaccinated. Health authorities have stated that they are on track to vaccinate 75% of the population (280,000 people) with at least one dose by the end of June.
