Norway

Vaccination is not compulsory/mandatory in Norway, and we do not expect that it will be so in the near future. This assessment is based upon the fact that the Norwegian population still seems to have awareness of the importance of personal freedom and individual rights. This assessment also stands despite the fact that the largest political party in Norway (The Labor party – Det Norske Arbeiderparti) in 2015 made the decision to introduce mandatory vaccination if they win the next election. The trend is, however, to introduce still more vaccines in Norway. New vaccines are introduced to the childhood vaccine schedule, and there is great pressure being exerted by the national health authorities toward a greater compliance. They are emphasizing the children’s vaccination schedule, but now we also see a push towards more frequent vaccination of the grown up, health workers, elderly and people with chronic diseases. Pro-vaccine propaganda is being repeated constantly by journalists and other groups in the mass media and social media. We also see a frequent censorship of comments of people that are questioning vaccines. Few dare to speak critically about vaccines. Medical personnel experience being silenced, and they are told not to utter doubt about vaccines. If they do, they can be threatened to lose their jobs. There is a great pressure being exerted on the parents in order to have them comply with the childhood vaccine schedule. To intensify the pro-vaccine pressure even more, some parents experience having to sign a disclaimer when they make the decision not to vaccinate their children. We question this practice while Norway is a country of free choice in this regard. The parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are often met with an arrogant and critical attitude towards their decision. According to our experience, only few parents report on a neutral or respectful attitude from health workers. From time to time medical staff call the Child Protection Services when parents decide not to vaccinate their children. Absence from vaccination is then regarded as a sign of parental neglect. A new policy introduced by the authorities in 2015 defied the common law. The policy states that the parent who wants to vaccinate their child may do this without the consent of the other parent. This policy has come into being despite the fact that common law states that medical treatment of children has to be consented by both parents. Hence, when one parent denies medical intervention regarding his or her child, this should be respected according to common law. Currently, however, Norwegian health authorities have chosen to define vaccination as a minor treatment, equal to common cold and small bruises. The decision to vaccinate at any point in time is up to the parent currently having the child in his or her custody. In Sweden, contrary to Norway, common law is abided in this respect, meaning that vaccination can only take place when both parents have expressed their consent. The compliance to the childhood vaccination schedule amounts to approximately 90% of the children. Adult vaccination rates are very low, because until now, the focus has been on the children. The last years we have been seeing a strong promotion of the flu vaccine with focus on health personnel and the so-called “vulnerable groups”; that means the elderly (more than 65 years), pregnant women after  the 12th week, patients with diabetes, people with low function in the lung, heart, kidney or liver, neurological disease, BMI over 40 and people with immune deficiency. There is an annual campaign in all media as well as in the medical offices promoting the flu vaccine. Our health authority wants the health workers to have a vaccination rate of flu vaccine at 75%, but the reality is that only about 5-10 % of the health workers accept this vaccine.

Adverse event following immunization public reporting system

• 1960: A man was crippled after smallpox vaccine and won his case in Norwegian Supreme Court after 6 years of struggle. 
• 2010: A girl was paralyzed from the waist down after the MMR vaccine given when she was 12 years old. She won her case in the Norwegian Court system after 11 years of struggle.
• 2013: A girl got chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) after participating in the Meningococcal vaccine experiment in 1991. After 15 years of struggle in the legal system she won her case in Norwegian Supreme Court.
• 2015: A boy was crippled with MS (multiple scleroses) after the MMR vaccine given when he was 12 years old. He won his case in the Norwegian Supreme Court after 13 years of struggle.