Helsinki steps up coronavirus vaccination

About one thousand healthcare professionals in Helsinki were vaccinated against coronavirus last week, said the City of Helsinki in a press release on Monday.

The City of Helsinki will continue with vaccinations this week. Beside healthcare professionals, residents of four senior centres are also being vaccinated.

According to the national vaccination strategy, residents of 24-hour care centres, people who are treating corona patients and who are in nursing services are among the first to be vaccinated. “We have already been in contact with the residents and their relatives in the senior centres about the opportunity to be vaccinated,” stated the press release.

The aim is to vaccinate about 2,000 people this week.

“We vaccinate as soon as we get vaccines. According to the current estimate, vaccination of professionals who work with corona, personnel in nursing services, residents of 24-hour care centres, as well as other front-line staff will take the entire month of January. After this, we will start vaccinating the elderly and those at risk of a severe coronavirus infection because of an existing condition,” said the director of health and substance abuse services in Helsinki, Leena Turpeinen.

“It’s great that we can already start vaccinating the residents within the nursing services. Even if the vaccinations have started, we still follow strict safety measures within nursing services. Unfortunately, the vaccinations will not mean a loosening of the visiting restrictions,” said Helsinki City Hospital Medical Director Laura Pikkarainen. In Helsinki, there are about 4,400 residents in 24-hour care centres. Of them about 2,300 are in the city’s senior centres and 2,100 are within purchased services. There are 10 senior centres in total.