Many people forget to get their booster shots – the Kanta archive could remedy this problem in the future

Few adults remember to get their booster vaccines. This problem is highlighted for the diphtheria and tetanus vaccine, which should be boosted at 10-year intervals. Failure to get the booster shot constitutes a risk. In summer, people often get cuts and wounds and work with soil. People usually realise they forgot to get the booster shot when they have an accident, get a health check-up or go on a trip. When travelling abroad, you should also confirm that your immunisations against diseases such as measles and polio are in order.

A survey commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Information Centre has revealed that half of Finns do not have an up-to-date vaccination card and only 44–74% of the population has up-to-date immunisations. Finding out information on vaccinations is challenging because the information is dispersed between the public and private health care providers where the individual has been vaccinated.

It is hoped that the Patient Data Repository included in the National Archive for Health Information (Kanta) will make the management of vaccination information easier. Information on future vaccinations will be entered in the Patient Data Repository. There are plans to include a summary display in the service to allow patients to view their vaccination history.

Sources and more information

• HS (in Finnish)
• YLE (in Finnish)