Swedish News:

Shortage of vaccines threatens Swedish children. No cars for a greener Stockholm. Bike-friendly Malmö. Sweden accused of dragging its feet. Fasten your IKEA dresser to the wall! 

  • There is a shortage of routine childhood vaccines in most of Sweden, and those at greatest risk are babies who haven't yet had their first doses and those with compromised immunity. Photo: www.fotoakuten.se
  • Shortage of vaccines threatens Swedish children
    There is a shortage of vaccines in most of Sweden, and a national plan is needed. Vaccines for routine childhood healthcare - tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough - are needed; the tuberculosis vaccine is especially wanted for high-risk children and young children who have not yet received a first dose. Hundreds of children across the country who should have received the vaccine haven’t been able to get it, according to pediatrician Dr. Margareta Blennow. The problem began when the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur MSD announced that it can not supply enough vaccine; now each county council must find replacements. The Public Health Agency MPA and the Association of Sweden's municipalities and county council, which work autonomously, have been alerted to this health threat.

  • Polio vaccination started 1957 in Sweden. The photo shows the nurse Birgit Rutberg vaccinate Nils Birger Linderholm in February 1957. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons-Ingemar Berling/Pressens Bild (Press photo)
  • No cars for a greener Stockholm
    Stockholm city center won't have a single car driving through it on September 9. The cosmopolitan capital is the largest city joining more than 200 cities in Europe during a one-day ban on all automobile traffic in its city center. It's hard to imagine it can be done, but Swedes are already driving less and walking more; and Stockholm's buses run 'round the clock on renewable energy. It is one of the cleanest cities in Europe, and for many reasons, including its strong pollution control efforts, Sweden was the European Green Capitol in 2010. "By closing the streets to cars for one day … we hope the citizens of Stockholm will be inspired to choose alternative modes of transport instead of the car," said Daniel Helldén, head of Stockholm's traffic division. The city – and others – will also host events throughout the week to showcase alternative cycling products and initiatives such as electric bikes and cycles with built-in wagons for transporting small children or making deliveries. Piteå and Lycksele in northern Sweden, Täby in central Sweden and Älmhult and Varberg in the south have also signed up to go car-free for the day.

  • Stockholm's city center won't have a single car driving through it on September 9. On Vasagatan, here, bike riders, pedestrians and parents with baby carriages regularly stroll. Photo: Lisa Mikulski
  • Bike friendly Malmo
    Already known for trying alternative modes of transportation, Swedes are ridings their bikes more than ever. And that's taken very seriously. The annual Copenhagenize Index recognizes cities that focus on improving infrastructure, which can include "reestablishing the bicycle on the urban landscape.” That’s exactly what Malmö in southern Sweden has done, earning it praise for being the sixth most bike-friendly city in the world, according to 2015's index of cycling in urban environments. "Malmö has worked to improve infrastructure for many years and it has led to good results," Christian Fasth, chairman of the regional Malmö branch of cycling campaign group Cykelfrämjandet said. While the city is a naturally good cycling city that's flat and not too big, Malmö has more plans to invest in new cycle lanes, signage and the installation of more tire pumps. "The city 'thinks' bicycle,” Fasth said. Europe dominated the 2015 rankings, although Buenos Aires and Minneapolis made their debuts this year. Other top cities are Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Antwerp and Seville.

  • Malmö in southern Sweden is the sixth most bike-friendly city in the world, according to 2015's index of cycling in urban environments. Photo lesunshine.com
  • Sweden accused of dragging its feet
    WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, 44, has been in Ecuador's embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted over alleged sexual offenses, claims which Assange denies. Swedish prosecutors intended to go to London to question Assange this summer, but a scheduled July visit was cancelled at the last minute after permission from the Ecuadorian embassy was denied them. The South American country says its legislation requires a formal agreement between Sweden and Ecuador before Assange can be interrogated. Sweden is of the opinion that such an agreement would be unnecessary but has now asked the Ministry of Justice and the Embassy of Ecuador for permission to travel to London to interrogate him as soon as possible. Time is running out for Swedish prosecutors as two of the alleged offenses - unlawful coercion and sexual assault - will reach their statute of limitation in August. Assange has refused to travel to Sweden because he fears the country would send him to the United States, where an investigation is ongoing into WikiLeaks' release in 2010 of 500,000 classified military files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and 250,000 diplomatic cables which embarrassed Washington.

  • The southern Sweden city of Malmö is the sixth most bike-friendly city in the world. Here the double decker bike rack outside the train station makes room for more bicycle storage.
  • Fasten your IKEA dresser to the wall!
    The super popular, super cheap Swedish furniture from IKEA often requires extra directions that some people have missed after they've finished assembling it: fastening it to a wall. It’s a serious enough problem that the mega store is recalling 27 million Malm dressers after two children died because the dressers fell on them. Unfortunately, this isn’t a new phenomenon – furniture and appliances that kids like to climb on have been a safety concern for parents for generations. Not only is the furniture giant recalling the dressers, but it’s also now giving away free wall fasteners for any IKEA item you want to make safer. But it’s only happening in the U.S. … where the problem is more common than anywhere else in the world.

  • The Swedish warrant for the arrest of Julian Assange is upheld. Assange photographed in the Ecuadorian Embassy, London (June 2013). Image: Wikimedia commons/Flickr