Municipalities to offer 3rd COVID-19 vaccine dose for risk groups

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is instructing municipalities to offer a third coronavirus vaccination as part of the primary vaccination series to anyone 12 or over whose immune response is significantly reduced due to a disease or its treatment.

Municipalities can start administering third doses to this group immediately, said the THL in a press release on Thursday.

“According to research, two vaccine doses are not enough to protect people with severe immune deficiency against coronavirus disease, so a series of three vaccinations is recommended for them. For most people with immune deficiency, a third dose raises the protection provided by the basic vaccination series to an adequate level,” said Hanna Nohynek, Chief Physician at THL.

A third dose can be offered to people with severe immune deficiency at least two months after the second dose.

The vaccine product used for the third dose will primarily be the same product as the second dose.

Another vaccine can also be used for the third dose if necessary. This could be the case due to severe allergy or the age limit of the AstraZeneca vaccine, for example, or if the municipality does not have the same vaccine available.

“Giving third doses to people with severe immune deficiency should not slow down the administration of the first and second vaccine doses in municipalities. We have received a good number of doses in Finland, so we can recommend starting third doses for people with severe immune deficiency immediately”, said THL Medical Specialist Anniina Virkku.

As soon as possible, THL will prepare instructions on administering third vaccine doses to people who received the coronavirus vaccination among the first with a dose interval of 3 to 4 weeks.

This group includes health care personnel working with coronavirus patients and, among others, elderly residents of nursing homes and the employees caring for them, most of who were vaccinated at a short dose interval in early 2021.