COVID-19 in Finland: Vaccination strategy as part of the wider governing of the pandemic

Hanna Tiirinki, Marjaana Viita-Aho, Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Markus Sovala, Vesa Jormanainen, Ilmo Keskimäki, Hanna Tiirinki, Marjaana Viita-Aho, Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Markus Sovala, Vesa Jormanainen, Ilmo Keskimäki

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the vaccination strategy as part of wider public governing of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland.

Methods: The study provides a synthesis of vaccination strategy and health policy measures, as well as economic challenges, in the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. The analysis is based on the systematic collection and reviewing of documents and reports. The review was complemented with relevant pandemic and vaccination monitoring data from Finland.

Results: The vaccination strategy approved by the Finnish Government in December 2020 prioritised various risk groups and health and social care professionals attending to COVID-19 patients. The Government has purchased COVID-19 vaccines through the EU joint procurement programme. Vaccinations were organised by municipalities and offered free of charge. The Government recommends universal vaccinations, including foreign residents and undocumented migrants. In 2021, the Government adopted a revised COVID-19 hybrid strategy, which aimed to dismantle wide restrictions as a means to control the epidemic. Despite high vaccination coverage, the Omicron variant became widespread in the population. The economic consequences of the pandemic have been less severe than expected.

Conclusions: In the approach to manage the pandemic, the vaccination strategy has a central role. Finland has probably benefitted from the EU joint vaccine procurement programme. The rapid launch of the vaccinations was supported by the existing vaccination capacity in municipalities. High vaccine coverage was seen as a key in opening society. Although a relatively high vaccination rate was not able to stop the spread of Omicron in late 2021, it has efficiently curbed serious cases and kept the death rate low.

Keywords: COVID-19; Economy; Finland; Health care; Vaccination strategy.

Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

© 2022 Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Number of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases by calendar week in 2020–2022 in Finland. Source: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), National Infectious Disease Register.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
COVID-19 vaccination coverage (%) by age groups and doses on February 13, 2022 in Finland. Source: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), National Vaccination Registry.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Cumulative uptake (%) of at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the total population in the Nordic countries by calendar week in 2020–2022. Source: European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker.

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Source: PubMed

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