From Monday, GPs in Norway will be able to test people and determine who only needs one vaccine dose

Coronavirus testingPhoto: Torstein Bøe / NTB

From Monday, it is possible to take a test at the GP to determine if you already had coronavirus and thus only need one dose of the vaccine. 

Those who had corona in the past only need one dose of vaccine to be fully vaccinated.

If you think you have been infected but have not been tested, you can now order an antibody test from your GP. It will show if you have antibodies to COVID-19 in your body and thus be able to get only one vaccine dose to be protected.

You can also take the antibody test if you have been diagnosed with corona abroad. Then the test result will not be registered in Norway. 

You must document that you had corona in the past to be considered fully vaccinated after the first dose.

The following people can take the test

The Ministry of Health and Care Services has made a change in regulations that allows for the use of antibody tests on the basis of advice from the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI). The change took effect last week.

A doctor at the FHI, Joakim Øverbø, emphasizes that the test is only relevant for people who have not already been vaccinated. You also don’t need to get it if you have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Norway. Then the results are already registered at the FHI.

“For most people, it is not necessary to take an antibody test, and I would encourage people to check if they can benefit from such a test before contacting their GP,” Øverbø told NTB.

The antibody test is thus intended for people who suspect that they have had corona but have not been diagnosed and for anyone who has tested positive for corona abroad. If it’s the latter, you should wait three weeks after the positive corona test before taking an antibody test.

Green corona certificate after one week

After one week, you are considered fully vaccinated if the antibody test shows that you had coronavirus and if you have taken one vaccine dose. This also gives you a green corona certificate.

Conversely, you will not receive a green corona certificate if you do not take the vaccine after an antibody test that shows that you had corona,

as the test doesn’t show when you were infected. 

You must have been infected during the last six months to be considered protected after corona infection.

The test can be taken at the GP, a municipal health center, or a private health institution. Once the test is taken, you can receive the first dose of the vaccine. If you know when you were infected, you should still wait three months after receiving the positive test until you receive the vaccine.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

Do you have a news tip for Norway Today? We want to hear it. Get in touch at [email protected]

Be the first to comment on "From Monday, GPs in Norway will be able to test people and determine who only needs one vaccine dose"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*