My vaccinations
Vaccinations in working life
According to the Finnish Act on Occupational Safety and Health, employers are required to take care of the safety and health of their employees while at work.
- Employers pay for vaccines required by their employees due to work-related reasons and business travel. Employers are compensated for these occupational health care expenses by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.
- The occupational health care provider also administers the basic vaccines and boosters included in the National Immunisation Programme.
- People employed in certain special industries may require a more extensive immunisation schedule due to the nature of their work. Vaccinations protect employees and the people they work with.
- Ensuring the appropriate immunisation of those who work with children, the elderly and sick people is particularly important. Separate vaccination guidelines have also been issued for groups including waste management employees, prison personnel, police officers and people who work outdoors in various positions. More information is available on the website of the National Institute for Health and Welfare.
- For information on vaccinations for employees going on expatriate assignments, please refer to the Traveller’s Health Guide published by the National Institute for Health and Welfare.
Further reading:
- THL, Immunisation: Vaccinations in working life (in Finnish)
- THL, Traveller’s Health Guide (in Finnish)
- THL, Traveller’s Health Guide: Expatriate assignments (in Finnish)
- THL, Traveller’s Health Guide: Country list A–I (in Finnish)
- THL, Traveller’s Health Guide: Country list J–P (in Finnish)
- THL, Traveller’s Health Guide: Country list Q–Z (in Finnish)
Vaccinations for health care professionals
Pursuant to the Infectious Diseases Act, health care personnel must have immunity against measles and chickenpox if the patients or customers are at risk for severe sequelae of infectious diseases. Additionally they have to have a vaccine-produced protection against influenza.
- The employer has to define those social and health care unit customer and patient premises, where people at risk for severe sequelae of infectious diseases are being treated. These premises also include vehicles used for transport of patients.
- Professionals who care for infants continuously also need to be vaccinated against whooping cough.
- The Infectious Diseases Act places these requirements on nursing staff in the interest of patient safety. Getting the vaccinations is voluntary, but those who refuse to be vaccinated are not allowed to work with certain types of patients, such as organ transplant recipients and cancer patients.
- Employers are responsible for ensuring that their employees are adequately immunised.
- Students receive vaccinations for internships from student health care and these are free of charge. Student working with a regular contract of employment may also receive vaccinations from occupational health care.
Further reading:
