Le vaccin antigrippe n’est plus gratuit pour le personnel

The Oslo news of the past 48 hours has been marked by a decision affecting staff at the municipal school: Osloskolen teachers are losing the free flu vaccine this year and must now pay a personal share of 300 kroner. On the military front, the British aircraft carrier HMS «Prince of Wales» entered the Oslofjord on Saturday afternoon, a day late. Finally, the city council’s transport and environment committee has rejected a ban on private New Year’s fireworks.

Oslo News: The flu vaccine is no longer free at school

Employees of Osloskolen, Oslo’s municipal school system, no longer have access to the free seasonal flu vaccination this year. Those who wish to get vaccinated must pay a personal share of 300 kroner. Only employees who work with vulnerable children retain free access (NRK Oslo).

“I find this shocking,” says Eskil Uggen, a senior teacher at Engebråten upper secondary school, quoted by NRK Oslo. He believes illness-related absenteeism will increase towards the end of autumn and adds that senior teachers do not earn hundreds of kroner, so these small amounts soon sting (NRK Oslo).

The education authority (Utdanningsetaten) is justifying the change. Its human resources director, Øystein Mangset, says the cut is based on a recommendation from Oslo’s chief infection control physician. He claims there is no data indicating that the measure affects absenteeism (NRK Oslo).

HMS “Prince of Wales” has entered the Oslofjord

The British aircraft carrier HMS “Prince of Wales” arrived in Oslo on Saturday afternoon. It was originally due to arrive on Friday, but had to turn back because of dense fog (NRK Oslo).

Before entering the Oslofjord, the ship took part in an exercise off the coast of Norway with the Norwegian Armed Forces, as part of the NATO-led operation “Firecrest”, which focused on strengthening cooperation in the North Atlantic and the Arctic. A meeting on security in Northern Europe is to be held aboard the ship, according to a statement from the Armed Forces cited by NRK Oslo.

The vessel, which is 284 metres long and has a crew of around 700 people, is accompanied by a British destroyer, the Norwegian frigate “Fridtjof Nansen” and the coast guard ship “Nornen”. In October, the aircraft carrier had already called at Namsos (NRK Oslo).

No ban on private New Year’s fireworks

In Oslo, the rule remains unchanged: fireworks are banned 364 days a year, but permitted on New Year’s Eve evening between 18:00 and 02:00, with certain exceptions (NRK Oslo).

A proposal to also ban private New Year’s rockets, put forward by MDG and SV in Oslo’s city council, only gained the support of Rødt at this week’s meeting of the transport and environment committee. Arbeiderpartiet, Høyre, Venstre and Fremskrittspartiet voted against it. “New Year’s Eve is an important celebration, and fireworks are part of the festivities that many people hold dear,” says Abdullah Alsabeehg (Ap), quoted by NRK Oslo.

The legal framework has, however, changed: just before summer, the Storting adopted a regulatory amendment allowing each municipality to ban its residents from setting off fireworks (NRK Oslo).

Workplace safety: Oslo’s emergency medical service and AMK operators

The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) carried out an enhanced inspection at Oslo’s emergency medical service (Oslo legevakt) following several reports. The report identifies serious safety shortcomings and a high risk that employees may be exposed to violence and threats. The inspection points to insufficient screening of patients who may be carrying a weapon, as well as the absence of a clear procedure for handling individuals known to have a history of violence or threats. The problem had been known for a long time, without adequate assessments or measures, according to the inspection. Aftenposten broke the story first (NRK Oslo, Aftenposten).

Another aspect of work in difficult conditions, in Oslo county: the AMK Oslo medical emergency call centre has introduced measures after absenteeism reached 12 % and staff turnover was high as the pandemic ended. “We were short of managers closer to the employees,” explains Tanja Hande, head of department at AMK Oslo (NRK Oslo).

📌 Local briefs

Rail traffic: on Friday evening, services were briefly suspended in the Oslo region due to a track fault. Bane Nor says the breakdown has been repaired, but delays and cancellations are still expected (NRK Oslo).

Økern: Swedish prosecutors suspect the Foxtrot criminal network of ordering the murder of a man in his twenties in Økern. Two Swedish teenagers, then aged 15 and 16, have been charged (NRK Oslo).

Nesodden: on Friday evening, a garage fire spread to a detached house on Ringveien in Nesodden municipality (Akershus), according to the emergency services. Residents and immediate neighbours were evacuated (NRK Oslo).

Sources: NRK Oslo, Aftenposten, The Local Norway — Period: 07 November 2026 and 08 November 2026