Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reports that because of the low levels of deliveries of coronavirus vaccine, it now looks as if even most people over the age of 70 will have to wait months, perhaps until May, to get a jab.
According to the latest assessment of Finland's vaccination rate by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), slightly more than 100,000 people in the country have been vaccinated so far.
THL expert Mia Kontio told the media late on Wednesday that a large number of healthcare professionals as well as nursing home residents and staff have already received vaccinations.
Next in line are people over 80 years of age.
"It is now absolutely essential to focus on vaccinating the elderly at the moment, because they are by far the most at risk. In other words, vaccinating them is a priority and when we get this group protected, we are well on our way," Kontio said.
"It is hoped that people over the age of 70 will be vaccinated by the end of May. This is a really rough estimate. It depends on how many doses of vaccine are received in Finland," Kontio pointed out.
Kontio estimates that everyone at risk, either because of their age or illness, could be vaccinated before the summer.
It is now believed that people who are not at special risk will probably have to wait until the end of the year for the vaccine.
A Finnish-made vaccine?
The nation's largest circulation daily, Helsingin Sanomat looks at the question of whether or not Finnish companies could start producing coronavirus vaccine to make up for the current and projected shortfall.
The answer, in theory, is "yes", according to Marjo-Riitta Helle of the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea .
Companies operating in Finland could enter into a license agreement with a pharmaceutical firm that produces a coronavirus vaccine and manufacturing could begin.
According to Helle, the initiative, though, is up to the companies themselves. It is the responsibility of the pharmaceutical companies to map out possible production sites and apply for marketing authorisation.
However, domestic production would not necessarily solve Finland's shortage. The vaccine would probably not stay here.
"Finland would be just one manufacturing site among the other manufacturing sites, and the pharmaceutical company would forward the vaccines in accordance with its distribution agreements," Helle points out.
Even so, THL Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek notes that commercial agreements could be made conditional on a certain proportion of the vaccine doses being made available to the country of manufacture.
However, there are obstacles to such an arrangement. Finland is receiving vaccines under the European Union's joint procurement programme, and it cannot access vaccines directly from the producers who are included in the general EU agreement.
Helle told Helsingin Sanomat that she does not consider it very likely that large pharmaceutical companies would turn to Finland, even though there is expertise in the field here.
Timo Ristola, Executive Vice President the viral-based gene therapy products company Finvector, says that his firm received inquires about the possibility of contract manufacturing from all of the manufacturers using adenoviral vectors in their vaccines - including Astra Zeneca and Russia's Sputnik.
He says that the offers were declined because of his company's own busy production schedule.
According to Ristola, Finvector applied to Business Finland for funding to investigate the manufacture of coronavirus vaccines. Funding was not granted and the idea was abandoned.
Nokia's mystery bounce
Oulu's Kaleva is among the morning papers reporting that the Finnish-based communications technology company Nokia saw its share price wildly fluctuation on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, for no apparent reason.
At about half past ten in the evening Finnish time, Nokia's share price was up almost 59 percent, after showing as much as a 90 percent gain earlier in the evening.
Trading in Nokia on the New York Stock Exchange was briefly suspended.
Mystified by the market, the company released a statement, saying, "Nokia is not aware of any material, undisclosed corporate developments or material change in its business or affairs that has not been publicly disclosed that would account for the recent increase in the market price or trading volume of its shares. "
Several newspaper, including Helsingin Sanomat and Kauppalehti pointed a finger at the "Wallstreetbets" discussion forum on the Reddit website, which is know to boost certain stocks and which had a thread devoted to investment in Nokia starting on Sunday.
Salla Summer Olympics 2032
Iltalehti tells its readers that the small eastern Lapland municipality of Salla (population 3,491) has thrown its hat into the ring as an candidate city for the summer Olympics games in 2032.
Well, not really.
What Salla has done is to produce and post a tongue-in-cheek video of locals taking part in traditional (and a few not so traditional) summer sports in the cold and snow, and commenting on what a great site it will be in 11 years.
In reality, Salla has not filed an application with the International Olympic Committee, and does not intend to do so. Instead it wants to focus attention on climate change and global warming.
"It's about waking up. We want people in the world to do more small and bigger things. If Salla is saved, the world will be saved," says Mayor Erkki Parkkinen.
The Arctic climate is warming two or three times faster than the rest of the world. According to Parkkinen, the effects of climate change are already visible in Salla. Temperature fluctuations are common.
Snow is an important part of the lives of residents and local wildlife. Tourism revolves almost entirely around snowy winters.
"The idea of the Olympic movement is to unite the people and nations of the world. The idea is that all nations can participate. Preventing climate change also requires people to take part in the fight around the world. This [project] fits the values of the Olympics," Parkkinen told Iltalehti.