THL has published a statement on the need to change the coronavirus vaccination strategy

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has published a statement on the need to change the coronavirus vaccination strategy. THL proposes that the prevention of a severe coronavirus disease, deaths and years of potential life lost in the population should now be at the core of the vaccination strategy, and the vaccines currently in use are well suited for that. Vaccination should aim for as good, comprehensive and sustainable protection as possible against a severe coronavirus disease.

Vaccine protection against a severe coronavirus disease remains very good for a long time, also against Omicron. On the other hand, protection against a mild coronavirus disease and infection caused by the Omicron variant declines within a few months after a second and third vaccine dose in all age groups. As Omicron spreads, the significance of coronavirus vaccines in the containment of infections and chains of infection has decreased at the population level. 

As the current coronavirus vaccines cannot be extensively used in the population to prevent the spread of infections and chains of infection caused by Omicron, the main objective of the vaccination strategy should no longer be to reduce the number of coronavirus cases by vaccinations.  

THL assesses that requiring coronavirus vaccinations from social welfare and health care personnel is still medically justified in terms of customer and patient safety and occupational health and safety. Although vaccines have not provided particularly effective protection against the spread of Omicron infections at the population level, the risk of infections is lower for the vaccinated at the individual level.

According to current knowledge, the risk of infecting is lower for some months for the vaccinated compared to the unvaccinated, especially after a third dose. THL considers the additional protection provided by a vaccine to be an acceptable justification for the vaccinations of social welfare and health care personnel also when Omicron is the dominant virus. 

Protection against a serious coronavirus disease has remained good

Vaccine protection against a severe coronavirus disease that is caused by Omicron and requires hospitalisation has remained good. A significant decline of vaccine protection against a severe form of the disease has only been observed in older people and at-risk groups with underlying diseases that expose them to a severe coronavirus disease. Even in these groups, the decrease in protection has been rather modest. 

The need for additional booster doses should be assessed primarily on the basis of whether they provide significant additional protection against a severe form of the disease in population groups with the highest risk of a severe coronavirus disease. The benefits of additional doses must also be carefully assessed because vaccination involves a large amount of healthcare resources. It is not practical to keep personnel and facilities continuously ready for the vaccinations to cover the entire population. 

According to current knowledge, enhancing the vaccine response with a fourth dose would not provide significant additional benefits in the population as a whole. The research data gathered so far shows that protection against a severe form of the disease will remain good after a third dose, also against Omicron infections.

Further information:

Link to the statement (in Finnish)

Otto Helve
Chief Physician
THL
[email protected] 

Hanna Nohynek
Chief Physician
THL
[email protected]