Delivery delays push back flu vaccinations across Finnish regions
Thursday 22nd October 2026 on 11:15 in
Finland
Several Finnish wellbeing services counties, regional health authorities, are postponing autumn flu vaccinations because of delivery problems, Yle reports. Kymenlaakso, Satakunta and Ostrobothnia have announced changes to their schedules.
Mia Kontio, a development director at Finland’s Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), said the supply problem affects Europe and, in part, other parts of the world. Production started late after the World Health Organization decided on the vaccine’s contents later than usual. All three vaccine components changed because flu viruses have shifted substantially since last season.
Finland has received about one million of the 1.8 million doses it ordered, with roughly 800,000 still to arrive. Kontio said all the doses are expected in Finland by the end of the year, and that the country’s supply situation is good by European standards, with more than half the order delivered. In some European countries, vaccinations are not expected to begin until late November.
Kontio said people in Finland still have time to get vaccinated in November or before Christmas. Flu cases have already been reported, but the main flu season generally begins later and peaks after the turn of the year.
The delays mean extra costs for the regional authorities and require them to reorganise resources. Vaccination schedules are set well in advance, and the changes may also make it harder to ensure enough staff, Kontio said.
Vaccine doses are distributed to the regions according to the number of residents aged over 65. Free flu vaccinations are offered to people over 65, children under seven, pregnant people and those whose health puts them at risk from flu. Kontio advised residents to follow announcements from their local authority about vaccine availability.
In Kymenlaakso, vaccination appointments have been limited to late October, and the vaccination period has been extended by two weeks because of the delays. Satakunta has also slowed its vaccination programme.