Sweden’s architect of controversial Covid-19 strategy joins WHO
- Upon advice of Anders Tegnell, Sweden responded to pandemic in 2020 with policy shunning many of harsh restrictions established elsewhere
- Currently state epidemiologist, Tegnell will become a ‘senior expert’ in group coordinating WHO’s, Unicef’s and vaccine organisation Gavi’s work
The mastermind behind Sweden’s Covid-19 strategy that triggered widespread criticism at home and abroad has been hired by the WHO as a vaccine coordinator.
Anders Tegnell will leave his position as state epidemiologist on March 14 and become “a senior expert” in a group that will coordinate the work between the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund Unicef and vaccine organisation Gavi, Sweden’s public health institute said on Wednesday.
Upon his advice, Sweden responded to the pandemic in 2020 with a policy that shunned many of the harsh restrictions elsewhere. The Nordic nation kept shops, restaurants and most schools open, in contrast to widespread lockdowns across the world.
With death rates clearly exceeding those of its Nordic peers, public confidence in the government’s crisis-handling slumped and was rebuked even by the king.
While Tegnell has said he misjudged the deadly potential of the coronavirus in its early stages, he long defied calls to abandon the strategy. At one point, he even said the “world had gone mad” by imposing lockdowns.