Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare:
 Two-dose COVID-19 vaccination rate reaches 79 per cent for people aged 12 or over — number of infections is high while burden on specialised healthcare has not increased

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Publication date 4.11.2021 10.00 | Published in English on 4.11.2021 at 12.35
Press release 329

On 3 November, 86 per cent of the target population for COVID-19 vaccination in Finland, i.e. people who are 12 years of age or over, had received at least one vaccine dose and 79 per cent two vaccine doses. According to the current estimate, Finland will achieve 80 per cent vaccination coverage by the end of this week.

Between 28 October and 3 November, the uptake of the first vaccine dose grew by 0.3 percentage points and the uptake of the second dose by 1.6 percentage points. On 3 November, a total of 102,491 people had received their third vaccine dose.

Altogether 83 new COVID-19 inpatients were admitted to  specialised healthcare between 25 and 31 October. Last week, 12 new COVID-19 inpatients were admitted to intensive care, while in the preceding week, the figure was 22. At the end of last week, the total number of patients in specialised healthcare was 97, of whom 74 were in inpatient care and 23 in intensive care. At the end of the week which started on 18 October, there were a total of 119 inpatients in specialised healthcare. On 3 November 2021, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register was 1,176.

Over the last two-week period (18–31 October), unvaccinated people between the ages of 12 and 79 with COVID-19 were admitted to specialised healthcare 12 times more often than those in the same age group who had been vaccinated twice. The risk of being admitted to specialised healthcare has been highest among unvaccinated people aged 40−69. 

The incidence of new COVID-19 cases over the last two-week period was 141 per 100,000 inhabitants, while in the preceding two-week period (4–17 October), the  figure was 143. A total of new 4,124 COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 25 and 31 October, while in the preceding week, the figure was 3,682. About 77,000 COVID-19 tests were taken last week,  and the proportion of positive cases of all samples taken was 5.4 per cent. In the previous week, the figure was 4.8 per cent. 

The epidemiological situation is monitored weekly. The situational picture is updated weekly on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. From now on, an extensive monitoring report will be published on the Institute’s webpage ‘Monitoring reports on the hybrid strategy’ every other week on Thursday afternoons. 

Inquiries:

Mia Kontio, Chief Specialist, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, [email protected]
Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, [email protected]
Mika Salminen, Director, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, [email protected]
Otto Helve, Chief Physician, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, [email protected]