Risk groups
Vaccinating people in medical risk groups is often important due to an underlying disease or condition and the treatment thereof. There are usually no obstacles to vaccination, but most vaccines should be administered before the treatment of the underlying condition begins, or during a break in treatment.
- Many medical conditions suppress the individual’s immune response, which means that the diseases prevented by vaccines, and their sequelae, pose a greater risk to these people than others. Certain medications also have an immunosuppressive effect, such as biological treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and cytostatic drugs against cancer.
- People should not be overly concerned about the potential side effects of vaccines, as the diseases they prevent are usually more dangerous than the vaccine’s side effects.
- The decision to administer a vaccine is always individually considered and discussed between the patient and the physician. Patients are also advised to mention any upcoming overseas trips to their physician.
- In some cases, a person’s entire immunisation must be rebuilt from scratch due to a medical condition or treatment thereof.
- There are separate vaccination recommendations for different risk groups. More information on the recommendations is available on the website of the National Institute for Health and Welfare (in Finnish)
- In addition, elderly people are at higher risk of serious infectious diseases compared to younger adults because immunity declines with age. More information on the vaccines for elderly people is available here.
Special recommendations have been issued for
- Allergy patients (in Finnish)
- Immunosuppressed individuals (in Finnish)
- Stem cell transplant recipients (in Finnish)
- Premature babies (in Finnish)
- People with neurological disorders (in Finnish)
- People whose spleen has been removed (in Finnish)
- Rheumatoid arthritis patients (in Finnish)
- Haemophiliacs (in Finnish)