Denmark is focusing its COVID-19 booster campaign on people over 50, it’s not banning everyone else

Denmark has a high COVID-19 vaccination rate, but recent social media posts suggest that the country is now banning residents from getting a shot. 

"Covid vaccinations now prohibited in people under 50 in Denmark," read the headline in a screenshot of a story featured in an Oct. 16 Instagram post.  

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

The story was posted on Sept. 16 on the blog Natural News, whose own Facebook page was deleted by social media platforms in 2019 for spreading misinformation and violating its rules about spam. The blog post goes on to say that "the Danish Health Authority has announced that just about every young and middle-aged person in Denmark is now prohibited from getting ‘vaccinated’ for COVID." 

But that’s misleading. 

In September, the Danish Health Authority said it would recommend that people ages 50 and older, "as well as selected risk groups," get a COVID-19 vaccine booster before an expected increase in infections this fall and winter. 

The "autumn vaccination programme" is aimed at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death, according to the authority’s website. 

That means that people 50 and older, and people younger than 50 who are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, and anyone who works in health care, elderly care, and some social services — regardless of age — will be offered a vaccine. The authority also recommends relatives of people at higher risk get vaccinated. 

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In a section titled "Why are people aged under 50 not to be re-vaccinated?," the health authority said this vaccination program aims to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death. 

"People aged under 50 are generally not at a particularly higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19," its website says. "In addition, younger people aged under 50 are well-protected against becoming severely ill from COVID-19, as a very large number of them have already been vaccinated and have previously been infected with COVID-19." 

But this pertains to just booster shots. The primary vaccine series is still available for people in Denmark younger than 50, though vaccinations have been limited among children. 

Following a seasonal vaccination program, starting in July, according to the health authority, it was no longer possible for children under age 18 to get a first COVID-19 shot. And after August, it was no longer possible for them to get a second injection. Children at high risk of becoming severely ill can still get a vaccine at their doctor’s recommendation.

We rate claims that Denmark is banning people under 50 from getting a COVID-19 vaccine False.