Helsinki offers influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations for target groups from October

Helsinki provides free influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations to groups recommended by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Vaccinations will be administered on a staggered basis, by age group.
The target groups for influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations defined by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) remain the same as last autumn. Photo: Silja Minkkinen

Helsinki offers influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations for target groups from October

Helsinki provides free influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations to groups recommended by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Vaccinations will be administered on a staggered basis, by age group.

Who is eligible for a free influenza or COVID-19 vaccination?

If you belong to one of the following groups, you are entitled to a free vaccination.

Influenza vaccination

  • Children aged 6 months to 6 years
  • People aged 65 and over
  • Pregnant people
  • Those entering mandatory or voluntary military service
  • People in a medical risk group due to illness or treatment
  • Close family and friends of people who are particularly vulnerable to severe influenza
  • Health, social welfare and pharmaceutical services staff directly involved in the care or treatment of patients and clients (vaccination mainly provided through occupational health care)
  • People living or staying long-term in institutional settings
  • People at risk of avian influenza due to their work or other circumstances

COVID-19 vaccination

  • Older people living in care homes or receiving regular home care, as well as older people receiving informal care
  • Everyone aged 75 and over
  • Severely immunocompromised people of all ages
  • People aged 18 and over with two or more underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 disease

Vaccinations at health stations

We provide vaccinations at selected health stations and by appointment only. You can book an appointment via Maisa or by calling the dedicated telephone service for vaccination bookings +358 9 310 46300, Monday to Friday, 8.00–16.00. Instructions for booking an appointment are available at hel.fi/vaccinations.

If you are aged 65 or over, you will receive permission to book an appointment in Maisa. A separate notification message will be sent to you in Maisa when appointment booking becomes available.

Appointment booking opens on a staggered basis by age group:

  • For people aged 65 and over, appointment booking opens on 22 September via Maisa and on 23 September by telephone.
  • For people under 65, appointment booking opens on 7 October via Maisa and by telephone.

We will administer vaccinations at health stations according to the following schedule:

  • People aged 75 and over can receive their vaccinations from 6 October to 20 November. We recommend booking an appointment between 6 and 16 October if appointments are available. If no appointments are available during that period, you can receive your vaccination between 19 October and 20 November. 
  • People under 75 years of age can receive their vaccinations from 19 October to 20 November. 

Vaccinations for clients of care services and home care

The wards at Helsinki City Hospital, senior centres and service homes will vaccinate their own clients. Vaccinations for these client groups will be carried out during October and November 2026. They do not need to book an appointment.

If you are a home care client and are unable to visit a health station to be vaccinated, you will receive your vaccination through home care. Home care staff will inform you of your vaccination time. Your informal carer can also be vaccinated at the same time if they belong to the target groups for vaccination.

Home care will also vaccinate people receiving informal care who are not home care clients and who are unable to visit a health station to be vaccinated. If necessary, please contact your own service coordinator.

Vaccinations at maternity and child health clinics

At maternity and child health clinics, we provide influenza vaccinations for pregnant people and children aged 6 months to 6 years from 19 October in connection with routine health check-ups. Vaccinations are also available by separate appointment during the clinics’ vaccination weeks from 2 to 13 November.

  • If you already have an appointment for a health check-up, you do not need to book a separate vaccination appointment. You will receive the vaccination during your visit. 
  • If you do not have an appointment for a health check-up, please book a separate vaccination appointment between 2 and 13 November. You may book an appointment at any maternity and child health clinic. Appointment booking opens on 7 October 2026 via Maisa and by telephone. We recommend booking your appointment primarily through the Maisa app or at maisa.fi. If you are unable to use Maisa, you can book an appointment by calling the maternity and child health clinic appointment service on 09 310 55530 (Monday to Friday, 8.00–14.00; callback service Monday to Friday, 8.00–16.00).

This autumn, Helsinki is piloting a model in which children aged 2–6 can receive the nasal spray influenza vaccine at their own day-care centre. The vaccine will be administered by a public health nurse from the maternity and child health clinic at the end of the day-care day in the presence of the child’s guardian. Around ten day-care centres in Helsinki are participating in the pilot. Families at participating day-care centres will receive separate information about the pilot and the vaccination schedule.

Maternity and child health clinic clients who belong to the target groups for COVID-19 vaccination can receive their COVID-19 vaccination at the Kamppi Maternity and Child Health Clinic by appointment. Appointments for COVID-19 vaccination must be booked by telephone. Appointment booking opens on 7 October by calling the maternity and child health clinic appointment service on +358 9 310 55530 (weekdays 8.00–14.00; callback service 8.00–16.00).

Vaccinations in school and student health care

School health care provides influenza vaccinations for pupils who belong to the target groups for vaccination, both at schools and at the Centralised Unit of School Health Care. Appointments can be booked via Maisa. Please follow the vaccination information provided by your school regarding vaccination schedules and appointment booking.

Pupils who belong to the target groups for COVID-19 vaccination will be vaccinated at the Centralised Unit of School Health Care by appointment. For more information, please contact your school public health nurse.

Student health care provides influenza vaccinations by appointment and on designated vaccination days. Please follow the communications from your educational institution regarding influenza vaccinations.

Students who belong to the target groups for COVID-19 vaccination will be vaccinated at the centralized student health care clinic by appointment. From 19 October onwards, you can enquire about vaccination appointments through the public health nurse at your educational institution.

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