Frontline health workers receive first Covid-19 vaccines in Finland
In addition to Helsinki, doses were sent to university hospitals in Turku, Tampere, Kuopio and Oulu.
Finland begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the coronavirus epidemic.
On Sunday, the Finnish health authorities celebrated their particular 'V-day' in tune with many other European countries, which wanted to start administering the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
Six frontline health workers - three women, three men - were the first to receive a dose of the new Pfizer/Biontech coronavirus vaccine in the Helsinki region, the worst hit by the epidemic in Finland.
The vaccine was first administered to intensive care unit nurses Eija Koponen and Marcus Norrgård, emergency department chief physician Timo Suonsyrjä, intensive care unit chief physician Benny Hellqvist, emergency department assistant nurse Kirsi Mustalammi and the lung department nurse Andrea Nummi.
According to a statement from the health authority of the Helsinki region (HUS), the vaccinated health workers will receive the second dose three weeks after the first injection.
“It takes four weeks from the first dose of the vaccine before the vaccine is fully effective. This is the beginning of the end of the epidemic, ”says Managing Director Teppo Heikkilä.
The vaccinations took place at Helsinki University Hospital.
The six, including physicians and nurses, were vaccinated with the two-dose vaccine jointly developed by the US pharma giant Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech.
V-Day
Eeva Ruotsalainen, assistant chief physician at Helsinki University Hospital, said the six were linked to the intensive care unit, pulmonary ward or with testing.
Kirsi Mustalammi, a deputy head nurse, said she felt fine after receiving the jab, she told public broadcaster YLE.
The first batch of about 9,750 doses was delivered to Finland on Saturday.
In addition to Helsinki, doses were sent to university hospitals in Turku, Tampere, Kuopio and Oulu.
Finland was one of several EU member states to start vaccinations on Sunday, what the region's leaders are calling 'V-Day.'