There are an estimated 780,000 completely unvaccinated people in Finland, according to THL figures, with the 25-29 age group least likely to have received even one dose.
There are an estimated 780,000 people over the age 12 in Finland yet to receive even one dose of a Covid vaccine, a situation which health authority THL has warned could escalate into an “epidemic” of the unvaccinated.
Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) has said that coronavirus restrictions will be lifted once 80 percent of the 12-and-above population is fully vaccinated against the virus.
However, the question of how authorities will deal with unvaccinated people when restrictions are lifted remains open.
“It is important to discuss this in society so that we understand what is being done,” THL chief physician and vaccinologist Hanna Nohynek told Yle. “There has been talk that vaccinated people cannot be held hostage by unvaccinated people.”
She added that little is known about the backgrounds of people who remain unvaccinated, as this has not been extensively studied in Finland, but THL figures have revealed that the most likely group to be completely unvaccinated were people in their mid-to-upper 20s.
This may be due to their life situation, Nohynek said, as getting the vaccination may be simply challenging for some in the midst of a busy work, social and family life.
“People of that age live a hectic life. If vaccines are not brought to them, then they might not get the vaccine for logistical reasons,” she pointed out, adding that no age group is 100 percent vaccinated.
Even among the over-75 age demographic, coverage is “only” close to 95 percent.
“For example, older people may have health reasons that prevent them from taking the vaccine,” she said.
Men less respectful of health guidelines
THL’s figures also show that men are more likely to be unvaccinated than women, although the agency is still investigating if this gender difference is statistically significant or whether it is related to, for example, the demographic structure of each particular region.
However, other studies do support the hypothesis that men are less likely to get the jab than women.
“It is generally accepted that women are more likely to follow different health guidelines and men are more reluctant, on average,” Nohynek said, adding that a refusal to be vaccinated sometimes stems from a belief that the person will never become infected.
“There may be a lack of understanding of what the virus can do at its worst, leading to an erroneous decision, such as a person thinking that the virus will not affect them or that they do not need a vaccine,” she said.
In addition, the virus tends to be milder in younger people than in older people.
“I would like people to consider what is their own probability of getting a serious illness. Young people can also get serious illnesses,” Nohynek added.
Smaller municipalities average less vaccine coverage
THL’s vaccine coverage figures, broken down by municipality, reveal that vaccine coverage tends to follow certain patterns depending on the size and population.
The smaller the municipality, the more likely it is that vaccination coverage will be lower than the national average.
In the town of Merijärvi, Northern Ostrobothnia, for example, just over 27 percent of people aged 25–29 have received the first dose of a vaccine. The town has a total population of just over 1,000 inhabitants.
Vaccination rates for the same age group are also low in Oripää in Southwest Finland, which also has a population of just over 1,000, as well as in Padasjoki, in the region of Päijät-Häme, which has about 2,800 residents.
In Oripää the vaccine coverage for 25-29-year-olds is above 35 percent, while in Padasjoki it is 37 percent.
The figures can sometimes be explained by simple mathematics: If there are only a dozen people in the age group living in the municipality, the refusal to take the vaccine by just a few of them will skew the figures.
However, according to Nohynek, the low vaccination coverage of small municipalities can also be explained by the fact that the nearest vaccination point is located far away, or it is only open for a short time.
Exceptions to the trend
THL’s figures also show that there are notable exceptions to this trend.
The town of Maalahti in Ostrobothnia, with a population of about 5,500 people, has the highest vaccine coverage for those aged 25–29: more than 84 percent.
In the town of Puumala, Southern Savonia, the vaccination coverage of 16–19-year-olds is over 96 percent.
An Yle survey conducted at the beginning of the year showed that people in small municipalities were, on average, somewhat more reluctant to take vaccinations than people living in cities.
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