In Helsinki, children and young people aged 12–15 will receive the coronavirus vaccination at Finnish-language schools starting from 12 August and at Swedish-language schools starting from 17 August. People aged 12–15 can also get vaccinated at vaccination points by appointment.
The vaccination is provided at schools to everyone aged 12–15 regardless of their municipality of residence. Booster shots are also administered at the schools after 8–12 weeks. More detailed information about the school-specific vaccination schedule will be provided via Wilma once the schedules have been confirmed.
Children and young people can also get vaccinated at vaccination points by appointment
Children and young people aged 12–15 can also choose to get vaccinated at vaccination points by appointment. In such cases, the booster shot is also administered at the vaccination point. If a guardian wants to be present, the vaccination is administered at a vaccination point.
Secondary education students aged 15 and older can also receive the coronavirus vaccination at a vaccination point by appointment.
Appointment booking for people aged 12–15 at vaccination points will start on Monday 9 August. Minors can book the appointment themselves. A guardian can also book the appointment for a minor.
The easiest way to make a vaccination appointment is to do it online at bookcovidvaccine.fi(Link leads to external service) or by calling the appointment booking line 09 310 46300 (weekdays at 8–18).
Vaccination points in Helsinki are located in Jätkäsaari, Malmi, Messukeskus and Myllypuro.
Children and young people are administered an mRNA vaccine
Children and young people are administered a vaccine by Moderna or Pzifer. You can find more information about the vaccines on the THL website(Link leads to external service).
Children aged 12 and older can decide whether they want to have the vaccination if a healthcare professional administering the vaccine deems them able to make the decision based on their age and development level.
If a young person does not want to or is not able to make the decision regarding their vaccination, administering the vaccine requires the guardians’ consent. Consent can be given with this form(Link leads to external service).
Getting vaccinated is voluntary and free of charge.
Vaccinations for children and young people as easily as possible
At the moment, approximately 450,000 Helsinki residents have received their first vaccine shot. To date, the second shot has been administered to more than 240,000 residents.
“It is great that we can now also vaccinate all people aged 12–15. We will vaccinate pupils and students in co-operation with school nurses. We are aiming to vaccinate children and young people as quickly as possible in a manner that hinders everyday studies as little as possible. The vaccinations will also make it possible for children and young people to attend normal contact teaching,” says Medical Director of Western Health Stations Timo Carpén.
“The vaccination coverage has come along very well in terms of the first shot, but we still have work to do to achieve more extensive protection. As such, we want to make it as easy and effortless as possible for young people to get vaccinated. Increasing the vaccination coverage among young people will make it safer for them to see each other and attend events important to them,” Carpén continues.
More details on coronavirus vaccinations in Helsinki are available on the coronavaccination-en.hel.fi pages, and information about vaccinations for children and young people can be found on the THL website(Link leads to external service).
In Helsinki, the autumn semester of Finnish-language comprehensive schools and upper secondary schools will start on 11 August, while Swedish-language schools will start on 16 August.
Photo: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema