The persons next in line for coronavirus vaccination in Helsinki are 25–29-year-olds, i.e. those born in 1992–1996.
The booking of vaccination appointments will open on Monday 14 June. Vaccination appointments can be made online at bookcovidvaccine.fi(Link leads to external service) or by calling the appointment booking line 09 310 46300(Link starts a phone call).
The fastest way to book an appointment is to use the online service. The appointment booking number is available on weekdays 08:00–18:00. Information on the start of the vaccinations is also published e.g. in newspapers.
Vaccinations are being carried out at the vaccination points of Jätkäsaari, Messukeskus, Malmi and Myllypuro.
More details on coronavirus vaccinations in Helsinki are available on the coronavaccination-en.hel.fi(Link leads to external service) pages.
Vaccinations will proceed as more vaccine doses become available
Vaccines will be administered in Helsinki without delay as they become available. At the moment, more than 315,000 Helsinki residents have received their first vaccine jab.
More than 90% of persons aged 70 and over have already received the first jab. For 55–69-year-olds, the vaccination coverage is 83% or higher. Around 78% of 45–54-year-olds have been vaccinated. For 40–44-year-olds, the vaccination coverage is 72% or higher. For 35–39-year-olds, the vaccination coverage is 55%. The vaccinations of 30-34-year-olds began at the start of this week.
Next up on the vaccination times are the younger age groups, who will decide how comprehensive the vaccination coverage will be and how the epidemic will continue.
Leena Turpeinen, Director of Helsinki's Health and substance abuse services, emphasizes that it is also important to come to scheduled vaccination times during the summer.
– Thank you to the people of Helsinki for the high number of vaccinations that have already been taken. Lets continue along the same line this summer. Now, however, during the hot days, it is also important to cancel your vaccination time well in advance if you can't attend, so that someone else can get vaccinated then, Turpeinen says.
Although the rates of coronavirus infections are now at a low level, in addition to vaccinations, Turpeinen says other coronavirus protection measures still need to be taken care of.
– Safeguards still need to be followed in the summer to order to keep the epidemic under control. Even if you have already been vaccinated, it is still important to observe the protection measures, such as maintaining good hand hygiene and safe distances, wearing a mask, staying home in the event of having symptoms and getting tested as necessary, Turpeinen adds.
The City of Helsinki uses two different vaccines. People aged 16–64-year-old are currently being given the Pfizer vaccine. At present, people aged 65 years old and over are vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine or, if they wish, the Pfizer vaccine. The selection can be made via both online and telephone appointments. The specific type of vaccine cannot be chosen at the vaccination point.
Two shots of the vaccines are administered. The Pfizer jabs will be administered at an interval of 12 weeks, in accordance with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s recommendation. The interval for AstraZeneca doses can be shortened to 8 weeks. Shortening the dose interval does not apply to Pfizer. Vaccination is free and
voluntary.
Persons who have already had COVID-19 are offered the vaccine after at least six months have passed from the onset of symptoms or the diagnosis of the illness.
Photo: Virpi Velin