Vaccinations are free of charge for the risk groups defined by THL. For seasonal vaccinations, we follow THL’s recommendations and schedule, which will be confirmed later.
Generally healthy individuals under the age of 65 who do not have underlying health conditions that increase the risk of severe influenza are not eligible for a free influenza vaccination. If you wish, you can get vaccinated at your own expense at a private clinic, through occupational health care, or at a pharmacy.
Who belong to the target groups for influenza vaccinations in autumn 2025?
The target groups for influenza vaccinations in autumn 2025 are the following:
- Children aged 6 months to 6 years
- People aged 65 and over
- Pregnant people
- Those entering mandatory or voluntary military service
- People in a medical risk group due to illness or treatment
- Close family and friends of people who are particularly vulnerable to severe influenza. See the question on influenza vaccination for family and friends.
- Health, social welfare and pharmaceutical services staff directly involved in the care or treatment of patients and clients (vaccination mainly provided through occupational health care).
The target groups for influenza vaccinations are based on the recommendations of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Influenza vaccine – THL (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)
Vaccinations in institutions, home care, maternity clinics, and school and student health care
Hospitals, senior centres, service homes and home care services, as well as maternity clinics, schools and educational institutions in Helsinki, are responsible for vaccinating their own clients.
- Hospital wards, senior centres and service homes in Helsinki administer vaccinations to their own clients.
- Clients receiving home care and their informal carers who fall within the vaccination recommendations will receive the vaccine through home care services.
- Home care services will contact eligible clients to arrange the vaccinations, including clients receiving outsourced home care services.
- This group will receive their vaccinations in October–November 2025.
- Pregnant people and children aged 6 months to 6 years will receive the influenza vaccination during health check-ups or by separate appointment between 27 October 2025 and 30 January 2026.
- Appointments open on 8 October in Maisa and by phone at +358 9 310 55530(Link starts a phone call) , Mon–Fri at 8.00–14.00.
- From 20 October onwards, those eligible for the influenza vaccination can enquire about an appointment from the nurse at their own educational institution or from the Centralised Unit of Student Health Care, tel. +358 40 6624166(Link starts a phone call)
- Students eligible for the influenza vaccination will be vaccinated at their own school.
- The school nurse will provide information on the vaccination schedule in a separate notice. Please follow your school’s vaccination updates.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about influenza vaccinations
The influenza vaccine protects against influenza and its complications. It is also advisable to get vaccinated against influenza if someone close to you is susceptible to severe influenza.
We administer influenza vaccines at health stations to people who belong to the target group for influenza vaccinations.
Maternity and child health clinics vaccinate pregnant people and children between 6 months and 6 years of age.
School and student health care services vaccinate pupils and students in schools and educational institutions who belong to the target group for influenza vaccinations. If you are not in the target group for the influenza vaccine but would like to be vaccinated, you can purchase the vaccine at your own expense and come to the school or student health care service to get vaccinated.
Hospital wards, senior centres, service homes and home care services in Helsinki vaccinate their own clients.
The booking of vaccination appointments for people aged 65 and over will open on 16 September in Maisa and on 17 September by phone. Appointment booking for people under 65 and clients of maternity and child health clinics will open in Maisa on 8 October.
If you are going to a health station to be vaccinated, you must book an appointment for the vaccination.
The maternity and child health clinic vaccinates its clients during health checks and by separate appointment. If you have an appointment for a health check between 27 October 2025 and 30 January 2026, you do not need to book a separate appointment for influenza vaccination. You will receive the vaccination during your health check.
In school health care, you must make an appointment for the vaccination separately with the school nurse. Please follow your school’s communications regarding vaccinations.
Student health care administers influenza vaccines both by appointment and on designated vaccination days. Please follow your educational institution’s vaccination information.
Hospital wards, senior centres, service homes and home care services in Helsinki vaccinate their own clients. These client groups do not need to book an appointment for vaccination.
We recommend that you book your appointment primarily through the Maisa app or online at maisa.fi.
If you are unable to use Maisa, you can book an appointment by calling the separate appointment booking number
+358 9 310 46300(Link starts a phone call)
(weekdays 8.00–16.00).
We will open appointment booking for vaccinations at health stations in stages:
- Appointment booking for people aged 65 and over will open on 16 September in Maisa and on 17 September by phone.
- Appointment booking for people under 65 will open on 8 October in Maisa and by phone.
Maternity and child health clinics administer vaccinations during health checks and by separate appointment. If you have an appointment for a health check between 27 October 2025 and 30 January 2026, you do not need to book a separate appointment for vaccination. You will receive the vaccination during your health check.
If you book a separate appointment for vaccination, we recommend that you primarily book it through the Maisa app or online at maisa.fi.
If you are unable to use Maisa, you can book an appointment by calling the separate appointment booking number +358 9 310 55530(Link starts a phone call) on weekdays 8.00–14.00 (callback service available on weekdays 8.00–16.00).
You can book a vaccination appointment for your partner online if you and your partner have signed an agreement on acting on behalf of another person in Maisa. Read more about acting on behalf of another person in Maisa.
Acting on behalf of a child or relative at health stations | City of Helsinki
If you have not signed an agreement on acting on behalf of another person, you can book a vaccination appointment for your partner by calling the appointment booking number Mon–Fri 8.00–16.00, tel.
+358 9 310 46300(Link starts a phone call)
A guardian can book a vaccination appointment on behalf of their child. You can book the appointment via Maisa or by phone.
Read more about acting on behalf of a child:
Please do not come to your vaccination appointment if you are ill. If you fall ill, cancel or reschedule your appointment in Maisa. If you are unable to use Maisa, you can cancel or postpone your appointment by calling +358 9 310 46300 (Link starts a phone call) on weekdays 8.00–16.00.
There is no callback feature in the phone service. Please note that there is a charge of EUR 56.70 for any unused and uncancelled appointments for anyone over the age of 18.
You can cancel your vaccination appointment in the Maisa app or at maisa.fi. You must cancel at least one day before your appointment.
If you are unable to cancel your appointment in Maisa, you can cancel a health station appointment by calling +358 9 310 46300(Link starts a phone call) , Mon–Fri 8.00–16.00. You can cancel an appointment at a maternity and child health clinic by calling the appointment booking number +358 9 3105 5530(Link starts a phone call) on weekdays 8.00–14.00 (callback service available on weekdays 8.00–16.00).
Please note that there is a charge of EUR 56.70 for any unused and uncancelled appointments for anyone over the age of 18.
If you belong to the target groups for both vaccinations, you will receive the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.
Yes. We will offer influenza vaccinations to people in the target groups during their other appointments as well.
If you are a client of home care services, the home care staff will vaccinate you. Your informal carer can also get vaccinated at home if they are in the target group for influenza vaccination. We will inform home care clients about vaccinations in home care.
If you are a person receiving informal care with an informal care decision, you are not a client of home care and your mobility is limited, we will arrange for a mobile vaccination unit to visit your home if necessary. We will inform informal care recipients about the mobile vaccination unit’s vaccinations and appointment booking in a separate letter.
Yes, it is. Helsinki hospital wards, senior centres, service homes and home care services will vaccinate their own clients.
For information on using Kela taxis, please visit the Kela website: Using a taxi | Our Services | Kela(Link leads to external service)
When you come for your vaccination, bring your Kela card or ID with you. Wear clothes that allow you to easily expose your upper arm. Be prepared to stay on the premises for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine so that any reactions can be observed.
Book a daytime vaccination appointment (8.00–15.00) in Maisa or by phone. When you arrive for your vaccination, tell the nurse about your previous reaction. Usually, you can still get vaccinated. If you have previously had a severe allergic reaction, i.e. an anaphylactic reaction, to an influenza vaccine, you cannot receive the vaccine.
If you cannot receive the vaccine yourself but are susceptible to severe influenza, people who are in close contact with you on a regular basis can get the influenza vaccine free of charge.
People allergic to eggs can usually receive the influenza vaccine, even though it contains some traces of egg protein. Most people will not develop any symptoms. Research suggests that vaccination may also be considered on an individual basis for people who have had an anaphylactic reaction after eating eggs.
You can exercise normally after receiving the influenza vaccine.
Everyone must book their own vaccination appointment and arrive at the appointed time.
If you and your family member are in the same age group, you can book vaccination appointments close to each other on the same day and at the same health station in Maisa.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare recommends influenza vaccination for everyone who is in close contact with someone who is susceptible to severe influenza. Some close friends and family members are vaccinated free of charge, while others have to pay for it.
The national programme includes free influenza vaccination to people who live in the same household or have weekly face-to-face contact with
- someone who is particularly susceptible to severe influenza
or
- someone who is susceptible to severe influenza but cannot receive the influenza vaccine.
People who are particularly susceptible to severe influenza include
- those with severe immunodeficiency
- those with serious illnesses
- those aged 65 and over who have underlying medical conditions or are in poor health
- those who are susceptible to severe influenza but cannot be vaccinated
- children under 6 months of age
- those who are pregnant.
The following close contacts must pay to get vaccinated:
- close contacts of people aged 65 and over who do not have underlying medical conditions or are in good health
- close contacts of children over 6 months but under 7 years of age
- some close contacts of people in a risk group due to an illness or treatment.
If you belong to the group of close contacts who can be vaccinated at their own cost, please contact your health station to request a prescription. After this, book a vaccination appointment and bring the vaccine with you to the appointment.
If you wish, you can check with the health station where you are staying to see if you can get vaccinated there. If you cannot be vaccinated there, we recommend that you come to get vaccinated at your local health station in Helsinki during the designated vaccination weeks.
We vaccinate people belonging to the target groups for influenza vaccination who have chosen Helsinki’s health services as their health service provider (Read more: Freedom of choice | City of Helsinki). We also vaccinate people who are staying in Helsinki for a long period of time.
We only administer vaccines to individuals who belong to the target groups specified by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). If you are not in the target groups for vaccination, you can get vaccinated at your own expense at a private clinic. Some employers offer their employees influenza vaccinations through occupational health care.
The most common side effects of injectable influenza vaccines are local reactions at the injection site, including pain, swelling, redness and warmth.
The most common side effects of nasal spray vaccines are nasal congestion and a very runny nose, which affect more than one in ten people. Rashes are rare.
After vaccination, whether by injection or nasal spray, you may feel slightly unwell and experience muscle or joint pain, as well as general symptoms such as fever, irritability, malaise and headache.
Serious side effects, such as a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), are very rare.
For more information on the possible side effects of the influenza vaccine, please visit the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) website. What side effects can influenza vaccines have? – THL(Link leads to external service) (in Finnish)
Even if you have been vaccinated, you can still get influenza, but your symptoms will usually be milder than those of unvaccinated people. The protection provided by the influenza vaccine varies from one epidemic season to the next. The effectiveness depends on how well the vaccine viruses match the circulating epidemic viruses, among other things.
