Helsinki residents turning 55–64 this year (born in 1957–66) who have an illness or condition that places them at extremely high risk of severe COVID-19 can book vaccination appointments as of Monday 22 February.
The fastest way to make a vaccination appointment is online at coronavaccination-en.hel.fi. You can also call the appointment booking line 09 310 46300 (open weekdays at 8–18). The appointment booking line uses a call-back service that records all calls, and all unanswered calls are returned.
Illnesses or conditions that very highly expose people to severe COVID-19 are the following:
- organ transplant or stem cell transplant
- actively treated cancer disease
- severe immunological disorder
- severe chronic nephropathy
- severe chronic pulmonary disease
- drug-treated type 2 diabetes
- Down syndrome (in adults)
More information on illnesses exposing people to severe COVID-19 and on the groups currently being vaccinated can be found at coronavaccination-en.hel.fi.
The vaccine being used is the one produced by AstraZeneca. It is allocated to persons under 70 based on a national-level policy. During the following week, Helsinki will be able to give ca. 4,000 AstraZeneca vaccine shots. The vaccinations of persons aged 65-69 (born 1952-56) who are at extremely high risk of severe COVID-19 due to an illness were started at the beginning of this week.
Two shots of the vaccine will be administered at an interval of 12 weeks, in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Welfare’s recommendation. The appointment for the second vaccination is set in conjunction with the first vaccination. Persons who have had COVID-19 are recommended to get vaccinated six months after the beginning of the symptoms or the diagnosis.
Vaccinations are administered at the vaccination points of Jätkäsaari, Messukuskus, Malmi and Myllypuro.
The vaccine entitlement is checked at the vaccination points from the Kanta service or from the City of Helsinki patient information system. If the person to be vaccinated is not enrolled as a client of the City of Helsinki social services and health care due to their illness or the information of the Kanta service cannot be accessed, the illness or condition very highly exposing the person to severe COVID-19 shall be proved otherwise, e.g. with a copy of the patient record.
Picture: Helsinki City's material bank / Virpi Velin