Helsinki University Hospital District (HUS) CEO Juha Tuominen wants the order of prioritisation for the coronavirus vaccines to be re-evaluated in Finland. According to Tuominen, those living in areas with a higher incidence of the virus should be included in the at-risk groups.
According to Tuominen, Finland and Uusimaa in particular have areas and socio-economic groups among which infection and mortality rates have been higher throughout the pandemic. Tuominen says he believes it is precisely because of these risks that the vaccination order should be revised.
Coronavirus infection rates especially high in Northern and Eastern Helsinki, in areas such as Itäkeskus and Vuosaari, as well as parts of Espoo, according to Tuominen.
"Coronavirus Infections are over-represented in the non-Finnish-speaking and non-Swedish-speaking populations," said Tuominen. "The common feature in many of the infection cases are high-density living conditions, lower income levels and larger family sizes."
Postcode lottery
The chief executive of HUS said he would consider whether certain postcode areas should be next in line in the vaccination order after the elderly have been vaccinated, and before the vaccine is rolled out to the rest of the general population.
Tuominen suggested that coronavirus vaccine could be targeted to postcodes where infections have been high for a long time, compared to other areas.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is responsible for prioritisation of vaccines. Tuominen hopes THL will evaluate the prioritisation of the vaccines based on the risk of illness and death.
"THL should consider what the optimal way to administer the vaccines would be. I don’t want to give them detailed instructions, but when it comes to areas or groups of people that will be vaccinated, there should be a difference. Some should be vaccinated earlier," the HUS boss said.
"Risk group categorisations can be added to, and one risk factor is also where a person lives, and in what kind of environment they live in. On the risk scale, I would rate this risk as being very high. I think it is dangerous if the risk-evaluation is not made now, and if the reasons for doing or not doing something are not recorded," Tuominen stated.
Other vaccines already targeted in high-incidence areas
Tuominen points out that screenings and some other vaccines, such as the so-called 'tick vaccine' are already targeted to those who live in high-risk areas.
The Finnish national vaccination programme offers a free TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) vaccine to everyone over the age of three who has a permanent home or holiday house in areas where the risk of getting infected is higher.
"In the case of the coronavirus vaccines, we also have to look specifically at who is at the highest risk of getting ill and dying. It is not equality that everyone born on the same day receives the vaccine at the same time. Equality is that risks are evaluated."
"I think this debate needs to take place now. It will be unfortunate if in six months or one year's time, we realise that some areas or population groups have carried a heavier burden of the disease," he concluded.