The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) recommends a fifth dose of Covid vaccine for those over 12 years of age whose immune system is severely impaired. This group includes between 10,000 to 30,000 people. Their immune deficiency may be congenital or a result of illness or medication.
"For example, this includes people who are undergoing active treatment for cancer and organ transplant recipients who take medication that suppresses their immune response," Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek, the head of the THL’s vaccine programme, said on Wednesday.
Such patients will be eligible for a fifth dose of vaccine 4-6 months after their fourth dose. Local municipalities are to provide details of where and when they can get vaccinated.
Having had a recent Covid infection is considered equivalent to a single dose of vaccine for immunocompromised patients, so a person who has received four doses of vaccine and still been diagnosed with Covid does not need a fifth dose at this stage.
“Protection of severely immunocompromised must be strengthened”
For severely immunocompromised patients, a fourth dose of the vaccine was recommended about six months ago, in December 2021.
According to Nohynek, the recommendation for the fifth dose of the vaccine is based on the preliminary results of a THL study on the protection of severely immunocompromised people. According to Nohynek, the protection of this group against serious Covid infections must be boosted.
"These individuals do not have the same antibody levels after four doses as healthy subjects. Their protection has waned and needs to be strengthened,” she told Yle.
Preliminary results suggest that the level of antibodies after the fourth dose of the vaccine in severely immunocompromised patients averages one-third of the vaccine response after a third dose in healthy adults.
Eyes on autumn
THL's recommendation for the fifth jab is based on an assessment by the THL and the National Advisory Committee on Vaccines (Krar). Other groups are unlikely to be offered fifth shots soon, said Nohynek.
"Probably not in the near future, but we are preparing for this autumn,” she said. “We known that new vaccines are being developed. During the summer, drug authorities will look at new research findings and make decisions about what types of vaccines will be authorised, and for which groups.”
Vaccination recommendations will also be impacted by how the pandemic evolves. Nohynek said that she does not see the current Covid infection situation as alarming.