Healthcare professionals granted vaccination rights amid delays in Finland’s vaccination rollout

Last fall, flu and COVID-19 vaccinations faced significant delays in several locations. To streamline the vaccination process and alleviate staff shortages, more healthcare professionals were granted the right to administer vaccines this spring. This reform is still in its early stages. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, for example, now have the authority to administer vaccinations, which was expected to accelerate vaccination efforts in pharmacies.

However, a survey conducted by the Finnish Pharmacists’ Association indicated that bureaucracy and unclear requirements are hindering this process. Currently, there’s no clear guideline on the physical space necessary for conducting vaccinations in pharmacies. Additionally, a separate health service company must be established to manage vaccination activities, creating a backlog in the licensing process at Finland’s National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).

Inka Puumalainen, the Pharmaceutical Director of the Pharmacists’ Association, highlighted a challenge with the national vaccination program: wellness regions need to negotiate agreements to utilize pharmacies for immunization efforts.

Tiina Heikkilä, the pharmacist at Kauniainen’s pharmacy, expressed that the current situation regarding vaccinations is confusing and hopes for pharmacies’ involvement in national vaccination campaigns. The pharmacy’s health point, which can perform small procedures like vaccinations, currently employs staff already qualified to administer vaccines. As the reform progresses, more pharmacy staff are seeking training to become vaccinators as training sessions are scheduled to commence later this summer.

While additional health professionals, including practical nurses and laboratory technicians, also gained vaccination rights last spring, the number of vaccinators from these groups this fall appears to be limited.