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The national vaccination programme against tick-borne encephalitis expands to Espoo’s Suvisaaristo

20.3.2023 8.49Updated: 31.3.2023 11.38

The national vaccination programme against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) will expand to Espoo’s Suvisaaristo this year. The incidence of the disease has increased significantly in this area during the five monitoring years.

In addition to Suvisaaristo, the TBE vaccinations in accordance with the national vaccination programme will be continued in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County in Lohja in the postal code areas of Ojamo, Lylyinen/Hormajärvi, Vohloinen/Virkkala and Kirkniemi, and in Kirkkonummi in the postal code areas of Luoma and Masala.

The vaccinations included in the national vaccination programme are cost-free, and all permanent residents and long-term holiday residents who are at least three years old are entitled to them. The vaccine is the more necessary the more you spend time in nature during the summer. The vaccination series includes three doses of the vaccine. It is a good idea to start the vaccination series at the beginning of the spring at the latest so that you can receive two doses of the vaccine before the summer. A third dose of the vaccine will be given the following year.

Updates to vaccination recommendations for other risk areas as well

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) also issues vaccine recommendations for areas outside the national vaccination programme. THL recommends self-paid TBE vaccinations, for example, to residents and cottage owners who spend time in nature. This year, vaccine recommendations for risk areas in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County have been updated in the Espoo archipelago, Kauklahti (Espoo), Hanko and Raseborg. Various vaccine recommendations have previously been in force in Espoo, Hanko, Kirkkonummi, Siuntio, Ingå, Lohja and Raseborg.

You can find more information on the number of cases per municipality and municipality-specific vaccine recommendations in the map application on the THL website.

Protect yourself from a tick bite

The TBE vaccine only protects against viral tick-borne encephalitis. The vaccine does not protect against other tick-borne diseases, such as borreliosis, and does not prevent ticks from biting into the skin. All tick-borne diseases can be prevented by protecting against tick bites.

“When spending time in nature in areas where there are ticks, it is a good idea to wear light long-sleeved and long-legged clothes and to put the trouser legs inside the socks. Insect repellent that is effective against ticks can provide additional protection, as can the daily checking of your body for ticks. However, you should not limit spending time in nature for fear of tick-borne diseases. Outdoor activities have much greater health benefits compared to the risk posed by ticks,” says Henna Mäkelä, researcher at THL.

TBE vaccinations in accordance with the national vaccination programme in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County

The basic series of the TBE vaccine is three vaccinations. A person who has not been vaccinated before will receive three doses of the vaccine free of charge. A person whose basic series is still in progress will also receive catch-up vaccinations free of charge as part of the vaccination programme. For those who have received the three-dose vaccination series, booster vaccinations are not currently included in the vaccination schedule.

Residents of Suvisaaristo can book an appointment for a free TBE vaccination at espoo.terveytesi.fi. The vaccinations are given at the Soukka Health Centre. If you want to use the service on the phone, call your own health centre.

See instructions on how to book a vaccination appointment in Lohja and Kirkkonummi on the Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county’s website.

If you are not covered by the national vaccination programme but want to protect yourself against tick-borne encephalitis, you can get the TBE vaccine yourself. You can ask for a prescription for the TBE vaccine by calling your local health centre. Buy the vaccine from a pharmacy and book a vaccination appointment online or by phone. You can also procure the vaccination from private health operators.

Further information