Finland recommends 3rd COVID shot to 60+ as hospitalizations rise

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has proposed that a third COVID-19 vaccine dose be offered to health workers, people over the age of 60 and at-risk groups regardless of age as the number of hospitalizations in the country is rising.

More than one million people in Finland are over the age of 60, and 700,000-odd citizens belong to medical risk groups, reported Xinhua, quoting national broadcaster Yle.

According to the latest research data, the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine gradually wears off after a second dose. However, the protective efficacy of the vaccine against severe COVID-19 remains very good in the majority of the population for at least six months, the THL explained.

The THL said that in Finland, those who were administered two COVID-19 vaccine doses but still received intensive care or died due to the disease were over 60 years of age.

At the beginning of September, the health authority said that the third vaccine dose should be administered first to all those over the age of 12 whose immune response is reduced due to the disease or its treatment; to health care staff working with COVID-19 patients; and to elderly residents of nursing homes and their caregivers.

The number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and the incidence rate are both on the rise in Finland.

According to the THL, 218 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Oct. 18, 26 more than last Friday and over 100 more than a month ago.

The THL also noted that 1,310 new laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in Finland since Friday.

The incidence rate of COVID-19 infections has been increasing slightly in Finland. The rate has been 140 cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, up from 120 cases previously.

As of Tuesday, Finland has registered 151,787 confirmed COVID-19 infections (580 new cases in the past 24 hours). The cumulative number of deaths was 1,120 (four of these in the past 24 hours).

In the population aged 12 and over, the vaccination rate is currently 84.7 percent with one dose and 75 percent with two doses.