The target group for the pneumococcal vaccine has expanded by about 100,000 people
10.11.2023
The pneumococcal vaccine is now offered free of charge to 65-84-year-olds with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to severely immunocompromised people under 75 years of age.
The national vaccination programme has expanded in terms of the pneumococcal vaccine. The vaccine is now available free of charge to 65-84-year-olds with asthma or COPD and to severely immunocompromised people under 75 years of age. In Finland, the new target groups for the pneumococcal vaccine include an estimated 100,000 people.
People with asthma and COPD have more than twice the risk of getting a serious pneumococcal disease and more than three times the risk of getting pneumonia requiring hospitalization compared to the general population. The 65-84-year-old age group benefits most from vaccinations, as they have a clearly increased risk due to age and the vaccine protects them for a long time. However, the effectiveness of the vaccine is lower, the older the vaccinated person is. The risk of severe pneumococcal disease and pneumonia requiring hospitalization for severely immunocompromised people is about ten times higher than for the general population.
The pneumococcal vaccine is also given as part of the national vaccination programme to children under 5 years of age, stem cell transplant recipients and people under 75 years of age with severe kidney disease. The vaccine prevents serious diseases caused by pneumococcal bacteria, such as meningitis, sepsis, and pneumonia.
Sources:
THL (in Finnish)
Mediuutiset (in Finnish)
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