Finland Prioritises COVID Boosters for Over-80s This Autumn
Finland will prioritise COVID-19 booster shots this autumn for people turning 80, residents of elderly care and other high-risk groups, with vaccinations to begin by the seasonal influenza campaign in wellbeing services counties.
Tamperelainen reports that Finland will prioritise COVID-19 booster shots this autumn for the very old and other high‑risk groups, with vaccinations to begin no later than the seasonal influenza campaign in wellbeing services counties.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) says boosters will be offered primarily to people with an elevated risk of severe COVID-19. First in line are everyone turning 80 this year, people with severe immunodeficiencies, residents of elderly care homes, those receiving regular home care and informal care recipients.
Vaccinations may also be offered to 75–79-year-olds, adults over 18 with multiple conditions that raise their risk of severe disease, and others after individual assessment.
THL expects mainly variant-adapted Comirnaty mRNA vaccines to be used, with a small number of protein-based Bimervax doses procured for Finland.
Last season about 11% of the population received a COVID booster; among those over 80 the uptake was 62%.
Hanna Nohynek, chief physician at THL, says the oldest age groups are being offered doses first because their risk of severe illness and death is highest.
The recommendations follow evaluations by the National Vaccination Expert Team and THL of case incidence, hospital burden and vaccine effectiveness and coverage.
Catch the full story over at Tamperelainen
