Vaccinations Occupational health care has already started distributing third doses of vaccine, Uusimaa plans to start vaccination in January

Occupational health care the distribution of third doses of coronary vaccine is likely to begin widely across the country at the beginning of the year. In some municipalities, the vaccine is already available from occupational health care.

Expert doctor of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) Auli Rytivaara says that in some municipalities, such as Oulu and Turku, occupational health professionals have already started distributing third doses.

“I hope that there will be widespread movement as soon as possible after the turn of the year.”

The marching order is, that the municipality first decides on the inclusion of occupational health in vaccinations. In some municipalities, occupational health has already been included for the first and second doses.

According to Rytivaara, in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (Hus), the actors have already made a decision-in-principle with 23 municipalities.

Following a decision by the municipality, employers will decide whether to offer vaccinations as part of their occupational health services. Some employers run occupational health themselves, some have outsourced it to a service company.

“In that case, getting the vaccine depends on the location of the workplace. In other words, a person living in Hämeenlinna, for example, could be vaccinated in Helsinki if the workplace is in Helsinki, ”says Rytivaara.

According to Rytivaara, the slowdown has been agreeing with the municipalities on how to get vaccine doses to occupational health care.

The state cannot oblige municipalities to include occupational health care if the municipality decides to distribute vaccines itself. However, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM) is currently preparing an amendment to the regulation, which urges municipalities to at least map out the matter.

Read more: HS data: Government decrees with new decree to involve municipalities in occupational health care for vaccinations

Rytivaara hopes that at least 90 per cent of Finnish municipalities will take occupational health into account.

“I would assume that most municipalities will take. A small municipality for which the distribution of vaccines has not been a big burden can survive on its own. ”

Some employers have started distributing coroner vaccinations to their employees themselves. This is what Nokian Tires, for example, started vaccinating its employees last week. The distribution of vaccinations themselves is possible for those companies that have their own internal occupational health care.

Read more: Nokian Tires started vaccinating its own employees, popularity was strong from day one: “As the word spreads, this type of activity will expand into jobs”

Last week the government introduced a coronavirus vaccine increase the compensation for the vaccination measure from the current EUR 10 to EUR 16. The measure is intended to make it easier for employers to provide vaccinations to their employees.

Rytivaara thinks that for some companies, raising the compensation amount will act as an incentive.

According to Rytivaara, whether you get paid for the time spent on vaccination is still company-specific.

Occupational health care Terveystalo, Pihlajalinna and Mehiläinen, which provide services to employers, say that in some municipalities the distribution of third doses has already begun. In the largest cities, vaccinations in occupational health are likely to begin during January.

Terveystalo says that it has distributed about 4,500 doses of the vaccine so far, for example in Nakkila and Säkylä.

“As soon as the municipality and employers give permission and vaccines are obtained, we can get vaccinated,” says Terveystalo’s Director of Communications Anne Alarotu.

At present, Terveystalo has an agreement with about a hundred municipalities.

Pihlajalinna has also started distributing third doses in some Finnish municipalities.

In those municipalities where occupational health has not been involved before, preparations have already been made for Pihlajalinna’s leading occupational health doctor. Mervi Viljamaan according to good pace.

“I believe that the big cities will start at the beginning of the year,” Viljamaa says.

Pihlajalinna also says that it is putting as many resources as employers want into corona vaccinations.