THL for 4th vaccine dose for 70-79 risk group

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) recommends a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for persons aged 70-79 in at-risk groups, said the THL in a press release on Monday.

At-risk groups include those with severe heart or lung disease, diabetes, or morbid obesity.

Previously, the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccines has been recommended for those aged 12 or over with severe immune deficiencies, those aged 80 or over, those living in elderly care homes and older people under organised home care or informal care as well as other older people whose health and functional capacity have deteriorated correspondingly and who cannot cope alone at home.

Municipalities organise vaccinations and will specify where and when COVID-19 vaccines can be obtained.

By combining data from various registers, THL has assessed how significantly the fourth vaccine dose would increase protection for those who have received three doses, taking into account any underlying diseases that predispose them to a severe coronavirus disease and the current or near future epidemic situation.

As age and underlying diseases increase the risk of a severe coronavirus disease, the greatest health benefits can be achieved by vaccinating those aged 70–79 in at-risk groups who have thus far received only three doses.

There are about 300,000 people in this group.

“Regardless of the epidemic situation, the risk of a disease requiring specialised medical care is slightly higher for those aged 70–79 in at-risk groups than for those aged over 80 who do not have similar illnesses”, said Hanna Nohynek, Chief Physician at THL.

“By expanding fourth doses, we are also preparing for the future. We cannot exclude the possibility of a widespread outbreak of a more easily spreading coronavirus variant in the population, which may increase both the number of infections and the need for specialised medical care during the summer and early autumn”, Nohynek added.

The COVID-19 epidemic is calming down in Finland. The number of infections, the need for specialised medical care and intensive care, as well as the number of deaths are still on the decline, said THL.

However, the new Omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5, which are somewhat more contagious and able to evade the protection gained from vaccines, have spread more widely in Europe, for example, in Portugal. Even the spread of new virus strains is likely to be slowed down during the summer due to the seasonal variation observed in coronavirus strains.

However, based on current information, it cannot be reliably predicted whether the new, more easily spreading Omicron strains will increase the number of cases and the need for specialised medical care during the summer in Finland.