Two of Denmark’s leading researchers criticize a recent press release from the National Serum Institute (Statens Serum Institut – SSI) for creating unnecessary fear and concern about the TBE virus among Danes. Last Friday, SSI issued a news release that quickly spread in the media about the first confirmed case of the TBE virus in Denmark this season. According to the researchers, the press release does not contain sufficient information about the target group for the mentioned vaccine, which creates a disproportionate amount of concern among the population.
René Bødker, senior researcher at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, believes that the news is exaggerated and contributes to unnecessary concern. “This news also contributes only to a risk of creating unnecessary concern. Their announcement is simply off the mark,” he says. Bødker points out that media coverage of the TBE virus in recent years has resulted in more Danes worrying unnecessarily about the risk of infection.
Anton Pottegård, professor at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Environmental Medicine at the University of Southern Denmark, supports Bødker’s views. He criticizes SSI for creating concern without providing clear answers as to whether people should be vaccinated. “It has a bit of an ostrich communication style from SSI, where they create concern but do not provide proper answers to the question people are left with: Should I get vaccinated?” says Pottegård. He emphasizes that the vast majority of Danes do not need to consider the vaccine.
At the National Serum Institute, they acknowledge the criticism. Bolette Søborg, chief physician and section leader at SSI, says that the institute always strives to communicate openly and accurately to Danes. “We are very concerned with communicating openly to Danes and doing it as well as possible,” she says. Søborg explains that the institute will consider whether future press releases can be more precise about who may benefit from a vaccine.
Although SSI’s intention was not to create unfounded fear, the institute is considering changing its communication strategy in the future. Søborg emphasizes that they want to raise awareness of how people can deal with the TBE virus and recommend talking to their general practitioner or a vaccination center before deciding to get vaccinated.
In 2023, 12 cases of TBE with suspected infection were confirmed in Denmark, seven on Zealand and five on Bornholm.