Vaccination protects against cancer caused by HPV infection
For the first time, it has been shown that vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) prevent malignant HPV-associated cancers in women. This was the finding of a Finnish-Swedish research team coordinated by the University of Tampere. The finding was based on registry monitoring of Finnish subjects in randomised HPV-vaccinated and control cohorts. The subjects were monitored […]
Changes to the national vaccination programme – life-threatening cases of tetanus in Finland are very rare
The tetanus vaccination booster interval has been lengthened from 10 years to 20 years in adults of working age. Tetanus has become very rare in Finland and average anti-tetanus antibody levels in the Finnish population are high. Only one or two serious cases have occurred in each year of this millennium, all of them in […]
Good vaccination coverage of small children in Finland
The national vaccination register’s vaccination coverage report shows that there has been a good vaccination coverage rate throughout Finland for children born in 2015. There are differences depending on the type of vaccine and the region, however. Vaccination rates have been as follows: 99% of children receive a series of five vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis, […]
Even last year’s influenza vaccine may protect you
According to a study of influenza vaccination conducted in Spain, it is advisable for the elderly to get vaccinated at least two times. Just two vaccinations may offer protection against serious illness requiring intensive care. The study was conducted at twenty hospitals in Spain during two consecutive winters. It compared hospitalised patients over 65 years […]
The immunisation programme works: rotavirus diseases among young children have been almost entirely eliminated
The rotavirus vaccine was added to the National Immunisation Programme in 2009. Since that time, the instances of hospital treatment caused by the rotavirus have decreased by as much as 93% among children under five years of age. Rotavirus causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting in children, potentially leading to dehydration and hospitalisation. According to Tuija […]
Religious beliefs are reflected in attitudes towards vaccinations
According to the latest human papillomavirus vaccination coverage report by the national vaccination register, 70 per cent of Finnish girls born in 2004, i.e. girls who are 13 years old this year, have received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. There are still large regional differences in HPV vaccination coverage, with the coverage being generally higher […]
Many 50-year-olds in Finland lack immunity against significant diseases
The MMR vaccine, which provides immunity against mumps, rubella and measles was added to the National Immunisation Programme in 1982. People who were born in the late 1960s and early 1970s, who are now entering their fifties, are likely to have never received this vaccination. However, those who were born in the early 1960s are likely to […]
Whooping cough cases have increased in Finland – vaccination during pregnancy can also protect the unborn child
The number of whooping cough cases has doubled in Finland over the past year. The National Institute for Health and Welfare’s register of infectious diseases (in Finnish) shows that there were 386 confirmed cases by December 2016, compared to only 165 the previous year. Whooping cough is a bacterial form of bronchitis that starts with symptoms that […]
Head of the Department of Vaccines and Immune Protection: An influenza vaccine is like taking out insurance to ensure the success of your winter holiday trip
Influenza is a disease that can take many forms, and sometimes it comes with no symptoms at all. At its worst, it can put a previously healthy person in intensive care and even lead to death. Approximately half a million people contract influenza in Finland each year. Taneli Puumalainen, Head of the Department of Vaccines […]
Vaccines are effective in preventing HPV infections
A new study on the HPV immunisation programme uses mathematical modelling to estimate that vaccinating only girls can prevent nearly all infections caused by the human papillomaviruses HPV16 and HPV18. The HPV16 and HPV18 viruses cause more than 70 per cent of all cases of cervical cancer. One of the scenarios modelled in the study […]
