Oulu residents confused over uneven access to free tick-borne encephalitis vaccines

Residents in the northern Finnish city of Oulu have expressed confusion after only part of the Kaakkuri district became eligible for free tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) vaccinations, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The discrepancy arises because eligibility is determined by postal code areas rather than broader district boundaries. In Kaakkuri, roughly 5,000 residents qualify for the free vaccine under the national vaccination programme, while another 7,000 in the same district do not. The issue has sparked discussion on social media and at vaccination sites.

Mika Rämet, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Oulu, told local newspaper Kaleva that all Oulu residents should consider getting vaccinated, as “ticks don’t respect municipal borders.” While he acknowledged that universal vaccination might not be cost-effective at a population level, he stressed its individual benefits.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) determines risk areas based on reported infection sites, using data from its infectious disease registry and interviews conducted by regional health authorities. Chief physician Tuula Hannila-Handelberg explained that areas may be selected by administrative boundaries, postal codes, or even entire islands—whatever best matches infection patterns.

Kaakkuri was added to the national TBE vaccination programme in January alongside Pyhäranta and new postal code areas in Hanko, Helsinki, Kemiönsaari, Kuopio, and Kirkkonummi. THL emphasises that pinpointing where infected ticks were acquired helps target vaccinations to high-risk zones.

While TBE cases remain rare, they can be fatal. Another tick-borne disease, Lyme borreliosis, is more common—about one in five ticks carries it, compared to just 1–2% for TBE. No Lyme vaccine exists yet, though one is in development. THL data shows TBE cases have risen sharply since 2020.