Helsinki to vaccinate students directly in secondary, vocational schools

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Helsinki, Aug 31 (IANS) Students in upper secondary schools and vocational institutions in the Finnish capital are to be directly vaccinated against Covid-19 between September 1-10, the City of Helsinki announced on Monday.

Vaccinations will be given to every student in these institutions, regardless of their municipality of residence, and no appointment will be required, it said in a press release.

If a student has already received their first vaccine dose, he/she will be able to get their second at school, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Timo Lukkarinen, medical director at the City of Helsinki, said the best way to protect students was through widespread vaccination.

"When vaccines are given in educational institutions, it is easy and quick," he said in the press release.

According to Lukkarinen, 74 per cent of 16-19-year-olds in Helsinki have received their first vaccine dose, and the city hopes this rate will be increased by improved availability of vaccines.

However, students may choose whether to be vaccinated, and if they cannot decide, the procedure requires the consent of a guardian.

According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), as of Monday afternoon, Finland has recorded a total of 126,565 coronavirus cases, with 472 of these being new. The death toll in the country has now reached 1,024, with five deaths reported on the previous day.

So far, 71.8 per cent of the country's population have already received their first vaccine dose, and 49.7 per cent, the second, said the THL.

--IANS

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