Latest updates
Nearly 100,000 Helsinki residents vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu this autumn – vaccinations to continue in school and student health care
Each school in Helsinki provides influenza vaccinations for pupils and students who belong to a risk group due to a pre-existing illness or care, or if their nearest are at risk for severe disease.
Vaccinations began at schools in week 47. The vaccination schedule may differ from school to school. Your school nurse can provide more information about vaccinations.
Influenza vaccinations in student health care began on 11 November.
Seasonal COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations at health stations and maternity and child health clinics are now over. Health stations may still have some vaccination appointments available. All vaccination appointments available for booking are shown in the Maisa service (www.maisa.fi(Link leads to external service)). If you cannot use Maisa, you can call your health station's phone number. Maternity and child health clinic customers can get an influenza vaccination during their clinic visits and COVID-19 vaccinations at Ruoholahti or Malmin raitti unit.
If you have been infected with the coronavirus this autumn, you will not need to get vaccinated this winter 2024–2025. Vaccinations can be provided for a specified reason on a case-by-case basis. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare recommends that vaccinations against COVID-19 are given no earlier than 6 months after an infection.
COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations continue – appointment booking opens to people aged 65 and over and to risk groups
On 2 October at 9.00, the booking service in Maisa(Link leads to external service) will open to people aged 65 and over as well as people aged 18 and over belonging to risk groups. The telephone booking service will open to this group on 10 October, tel. +358 9 310 46300(Link starts a phone call), open Monday to Friday at 8.00–16.00. The number does not have a callback service. Calls will be charged at your standard network rate. Please book one appointment only.
Due to their age, people aged 65 and over are at risk for both COVID-19 and influenza, so they are offered both vaccines free of charge. People under the age of 65 may be entitled to receive their COVID-19 and/or influenza vaccination free of charge due to an underlying health condition or treatment.
Booking now open for vaccination appointments at maternity and child health clinics
Pregnant people and children under 7 can get the influenza vaccine at their regular health check appointments at the maternity and child health clinic. They can also book separate vaccination appointments to get the vaccine between 4 and 15 November.
The appointment booking service opens in Maisa(Link leads to external service) on 2 October. If you are unable to use Maisa, you can book a vaccination appointment through a public health nurse or the telephone service of the maternity and child health clinic, tel. +358 9 310 55530(Link starts a phone call), open Monday to Friday at 8.00–14.00.
There is a delay in the delivery of the nasal spray influenza vaccine given to children aged 2 to 6. If you want your child to receive the vaccine as a nasal spray, it is best to book an appointment for November.
Pregnant people and children between the ages of 6 months and 15 years with severe immune insufficiency can get COVID-19 vaccines from the Malmi Centralised Maternity and Child Health Clinic Service or by booking a separate vaccination appointment.
People under the age of 65 without any significant health issues do not need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza. However, if they want to, they can get vaccine prescriptions from a private clinic or their occupational health care services.
Vaccination of people aged 75 to 79 began on 30 September
Remember the following when coming to get a vaccine at a health station:
- Vaccinations are available by appointment only, so make sure that you have booked an appointment. Come to your appointment on time and only if you are feeling well
- Bring your identity card or Kela card with you.
- Wear clothes that make it easy for you to expose your upper arm. This helps ensure that the vaccination appointment goes smoothly and quickly.
If necessary, you can reschedule or cancel your appointment through Maisa. If you are unable to use Maisa, you can reschedule or cancel your appointment by calling the appointment booking service, tel. +358 9 310 46300, open Monday to Friday at 8.00–16.00. The number does not have a callback service.
COVID vaccinations for people over 80 and those significantly immune insufficient begin – appointment booking for 75–79-year olds open
People over 80 and those significantly immune insufficient will be able to received COVID-19 vaccinations at the health stations on 17–27 September. If you are a part of this group, please remember to book an appointment for the influenza vaccination in November. The influenza vaccination appointments are already available for booking.
Remember this, when you come to the health station for a vaccination:
- Vaccinations are only available with an appointment. Please arrive healthy and on time.
- Bring your Kela card or ID card when you arrive.
- Wear clothes that make it easy to expose your arm. This makes the vaccination process go faster.
You can use Maisa(Link leads to external service) to reschedule or cancel your appointment. If you cannot use Maisa, you can also cancel or reschedule your appointment at our telephone service, +358 9 319 46300(Link starts a phone call), which is open on Mon–Fri from 8 am to 4 pm. This is not a callback service.
Reservations for 75–79-year-olds opens on 17 September
COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations will be provided to 75–79-year-olds at the same time during 30 September – 11 October 2024.
Vaccinations are provided at select health stations and only by appointment. Please, only reserve a single appointment. Reservations will be open on 17 September on Maisa and a separate telephone service for appointments.
We recommend booking your appointment using Maisa(Link leads to external service). Using Maisa to book an appointment is fast and easy.
If you cannot use Maisa, you can also book a vaccination appointment via phone by calling the dedicated appointment number at +358 9 310 46300(Link starts a phone call), open on Mon–Fri at 8 am – 4 pm. This is not a callback service. The calling price is that of a normal phone call.
Booking now open to people aged 80 and over and those with severe immune insufficiency
During the first two days of the vaccine rollout, more than 20% of people belonging to the eligible priority risk groups were able to book their vaccination appointments. Appointment times are widely available to everyone who wants them, despite the queues that were formed in the telephone booking service during the first days of operation. Vaccines will start being administered on 17 September, when people aged 80 and older as well as people with severe immune insufficiency will start receiving their COVID-19 vaccines.
Please keep in mind that health stations’ facilities are limited and that there are many people coming to get their vaccinations. Help us make the vaccination process run smoothly and quickly, and make sure that you arrive to your personal appointment on time.
Appointments can be booked by phone or using Maisa
You can book a vaccination appointment by calling the telephone booking service at +358 9 310 46300, open from Monday to Friday at 8.00–16.00. The telephone service does not have a callback service.
People aged 80 and over can also book their appointments using the Maisa client portal(Link leads to external service), where they will have been granted their own personal scheduling permit for making an appointment. In Maisa, as many as 6,000 appointments have already been successfully booked by Helsinki residents during the first days of the vaccine rollout.
Helsinki’s free-of-charge COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to start in September
We will start vaccinations with people who are most vulnerable to infection and severe disease, i.e. people aged 80 and over and people of all ages with severe immune insufficiency. A person’s immune system may have been compromised and weakened, for example, due to organ transplantation.
People over the age of 80 and people with severe immune insufficiency will receive the vaccine against COVID-19 first, followed by the vaccine against influenza later in the autumn. Giving the vaccines at different times will give these people better protection against disease. In recent years, COVID-19 has started to spread earlier than influenza, which usually peaks near the start of the new year.
Clients of care services and home care services
The inpatient wards at Helsinki’s hospitals, as well as the City’s senior centres and service homes, will vaccinate their own clients. Home care clients, as well as their informal caregivers eligible for vaccination, can get the vaccinations from the home care services. These groups started receiving the vaccines at end of August and beginning of September. People belonging to these groups do not need to book vaccination appointments.
Vaccinations at health stations
Vaccinations at health stations will be first offered to people aged 80 and over and people of all ages with severe immune insufficiency. They can receive the COVID-19 vaccine from 17 September to 27 September and the influenza vaccine from 4 November to 15 November. The telephone booking service for both vaccinations will open on 4 September. People aged 80 and over will also be able to book appointments using the Maisa client portal from 3 September.
Offered by appointment only, vaccinations will be widely available at most health stations. Vaccination appointments can be booked using the Maisa client portal(Link leads to external service) or by phone, tel. +358 9 31046300(Link starts a phone call), Mon-Fri at 8.00–16.00.
- People aged between 75 and 79, who will receive the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines at the same time, can get vaccinated from 30 September to 11 October. Appointment booking for this group will open on 17 September.
- People aged 65 and over and people aged 18 and over belonging to risk groups, who will receive the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines at the same time, can get vaccinated from 14 October to 1 November. Appointment booking for this group will open in Maisa on 2 October and on the telephone service on 10 October.
Vaccinations at maternity and child health clinics and in school and student health care
Influenza vaccinations at maternity and child health clinics
In the autumn, maternity and child health clinics will offer influenza vaccines to all pregnant clients and children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years during their regular health check visits. Vaccinations will begin when the vaccines become available.
Clients will also be able to get influenza vaccinations from 4 November to 15 November. Appointment booking will open in Maisa later in the autumn, with details announced closer to the date when booking opens.
COVID-19 vaccinations at maternity and child health clinics
From 3 September, pregnant Helsinki residents will be offered booster rounds of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Malmi Centralised Maternity and Child Health Clinic Service. You can book a vaccination appointment through a public health nurse or the telephone service of the maternity and child health clinic, tel. +358 9 310 55530 (Link starts a phone call)Mon–Fri at 8.00–14.00. You can also receive a COVID-19 vaccination at a maternity and child health clinic from 4 November to 15 November in connection with an influenza vaccination appointment.
From 3 September, on the recommendation of specialised health care, also children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years with severe immune insufficiency will be offered COVID-19 booster vaccines at the Malmi Centralised Maternity and Child Health Clinic Service. You can book a vaccination appointment through a public health nurse or the telephone service of the maternity and child health clinic.
Clients of school and student health care will receive their vaccinations from the school and student health care services of their place of study. We will inform about this later.
