The proportion of completely unvaccinated children has increased in Finland, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Vaccination coverage among young children, however, has long been excellent and the coverage rates remain high, said THL in a press release on Thursday referring statistics. According to the new data, 2.2 percent of children born in 2023 are entirely unvaccinated. Among children born in 2016–2019, the share of unvaccinated children was still around one percent, but it has risen steadily since then. For children born in 2022, the share is 1.8 percent. There may be reasons related to the organisation, postponement or reporting of vaccinations, but vaccine hesitancy and vaccine scepticism have also increased in several regions in Finland. “We want to remind people that none of the vaccines in the national vaccination programme are unnecessary. Many of the diseases we vaccinate against can be especially dangerous for small children,” said THLs leading specialist Mia Kontio. Among children born in 2023, the proportion of unvaccinated children is particularly high in Åland, at 5.2 percent. In the wellbeing services counties of East Uusimaa, North Ostrobothnia and Päijät-Häme, the share also exceeds three percent. In contrast, in North Savo, Kainuu and Kymenlaakso, the share of unvaccinated children remains around one percent. THL provides training and guidance to healthcare professionals on how to meet and support parents who are uncertain about vaccination decisions. The first training sessions were organised last autumn in Åland and East Uusimaa. “It is extremely important that parents considering whether to vaccinate their child can have a calm discussion with a healthcare professional about their concerns. This helps the professional better understand and reduce those concerns,” Kontio said. Vaccination coverage varies between different vaccines. For example, coverage for the five-in-one vaccine remains very high across most of the country. This vaccine protects children from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and severe infections caused by the Hib bacterium. However, coverage for the MMRV vaccine – given to six year olds and protecting against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox – is only about 92 percent among children born in 2018 nationwide. Coverage has declined for three consecutive years. Measles is extremely contagious. It can be a serious illness for anyone without immunity from previous infection or vaccination, regardless of age. To prevent isolated measles cases from causing outbreaks, coverage must be at least 95 percent.
March 27, 2026