Seasonal influenza vaccinations
Influenza vaccines are provided free of charge under the national programme to those for whom influenza is an essential health risk or who gain significant health benefits from the vaccination. Traditionally, influenza vaccinations take place every year starting in late autumn.
Persons who are entitled to an influenza vaccine free of charge:
- All persons who have turned 65
- Persons who belong to an at-risk group because of illness or treatment
- Persons who are pregnant
- Children who are 6 months – 6 years old
- Men starting their military service and women starting their voluntary military service
- Those close to a person who is particularly susceptible to serious influenza
- Personnel in social and health care and pharmaceutical services who take part in immediate care or services for patients and clients
- Persons who live or stay for long periods in institutional conditions, for example prisons, are also entitled to a free vaccination.
A public health nurse, nurse or doctor will assess whether a person belongs to the target group for a free vaccination. A person who does not belong to the target group can ask for a prescription and buy the vaccine from a pharmacy. Persons who do not belong to an at-risk group and have acquired the vaccine by prescription will be given the vaccine at the same locations in Soite.
The influenza vaccine and a coronavirus vaccination can be taken at the same time, and we recommend that the influenza vaccine be taken at the same time as the corona vaccine’s booster dose in late autumn/early winter if the person is entitled to a coronavirus vaccination.
Influenza vaccinations for pregnant persons, children under the age of 7 and persons close to people who are susceptible to serious influenza are given at Soite’s maternity and child health clinics. Schoolchildren and students are vaccinated in school health care and student health care. Public health nurses inform about vaccinations for schoolchildren via Wilma.
Persons in service housing, who receive home care, are in interval care, are on a ward or receive at-home hospital care are vaccinated in the unit or during a nurse’s visit to the home.
Booking an appointment online or by phone
A vaccination must be booked in advance either online or by phone.
- Online booking in the My Healthcare service is open 24/7.
- Log on to the My Healthcare service with your online bank user identifiers (or some other means of strong identification) in order to book an appointment for yourself.
- The days that still have appointments available are marked with green colour in the web calendar.
- You can book an appointment for another person if you have signed an agreement regarding this.
- An appointment to one’s own health care station can be booked by phone via the “Booking a vaccination” number +358 68287488.
- An appointment to a maternity and child health clinic can be booked by phone via the centralized phone service for maternity and child health clinics
- We ask customers not to call the phone numbers of receptions in matters related to influenza vaccinations
The online booking works more smoothly and we recommend that appointments are booked online if possible.