Denmark has become the first country to pause COVID-19 vaccinations as it claims high levels of immunization, a decrease in cases, and stabilizing hospital rates have meant the virus is under control. 

The government will not issue any more invitations to get vaccinated after May 15, it announced yesterday, although it isn't ruling out starting again in the autumn.

The Danish Health Authority said high levels of immunization – 81 percent of Denmark's 5.8 million citizens, or four in five people, are vaccinated – meant the virus was no longer a critical threat and had been brought under control. 

"We plan to reopen the vaccination programme in the autumn. This will be preceded by a thorough professional assessment of who and when to vaccinate and with which vaccines,” Denmark's chief physician, Bolette Søborg, said. 

Denmark considers people fully vaccinated with two doses of the vaccines, although 61.6 percent of the population is boosted too, with the most vulnerable offered a second booster jab in January after the country experienced an Omicron wave last November. 

Denmark became the first EU country to remove all pandemic restrictions back in February when it declassified COVID as a "critical threat", despite rising cases at the time. 

Experts reportedly supported the decision, saying hospitals being overwhelmed was more of a concern than personal health for Danish people.