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General

Fourth vaccination round will not be expanded in Ostrobothnia

The pandemic and vaccine groups of the Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia have met to discuss a possible expansion of the age and risk groups being offered a fourth coronavirus vaccine dose. The groups have assessed that the current epidemiological situation in Ostrobothnia means that there are no grounds to deviate from the vaccination recommendations given by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Currently, THL does not recommend that healthy people aged 18–59 should be given a fourth vaccine dose. The risk of vaccinated people of working age becoming seriously ill from the omicron variants circulating in the country is extremely low at the moment.

– Healthy adults do not need a fourth vaccine at this stage. According to THL, there is no medical evidence for this. In addition, immunity is high and vaccine coverage has remained good, explains Chief Physician Peter Nieminen.

If necessary, the attending physician can give individual instructions if, for example, a country’s travel regulations require a fourth vaccine dose.

Current recommendations will remain

According to THL’s recommendations, everyone over the age of 18 is entitled to three coronavirus vaccine doses. The basic series of coronavirus vaccinations, i.e. two vaccine doses, is offered to everyone over the age of 5 in Finland.

Vaccines and booster doses are given in accordance with the national guidelines of THL as follows:

  1. 18–59 year-olds who do not belong to a risk group and those over 12 years of age who belong to any risk group
    – 3 doses (a disease infection counts as one dose)
  2. 60–64 year-olds
    – 4 doses (a disease infection counts as one dose)
  3. People over 65, those over 18 in risk groups, and anyone over 12 who is severely immunocompromised
    – A booster dose with a so-called variant vaccine (omicron-tailored) is given in October-December
    – Previously administered vaccine doses or disease infections are not counted (the person must have received the basic vaccination series)
    – The recommendation is to give the dose at the same time as a flu vaccination
    – No sooner than 3 months after a previous vaccination or a previous infection

A vaccination appointment can be booked via the online appointment booking service or by telephone. Vaccination times are now easily available for all doses, including the first ones. You can take the first dose even if you have had the disease once or twice already.