As long as many remain unvaccinated, the virus will be present in society. According to Anna-Elina Lehesjoki, director of the Folkhälsan Research Center, those who choose not to be vaccinated take a risk, both for themselves and for others.
The risk of becoming seriously ill applies, even if you yourself do not belong to any risk group or are young and healthy. Covid-19 is a serious disease that can have far-reaching consequences for ones health, albeit not necessarily fatal.
– A large part of the corona cases that require care could have been avoided with vaccination. These patients burden the health care system and, in the worst case scenario, take up resources from the care of other serious diseases, says Anna-Elina Lehesjoki.
Unfortunately, a lot of false information seems to spread regarding the side effects, where some have incorrectly concluded that the vaccine would have caused problems that arose around the same time as the vaccine was taken.
– Correlation does not in itself imply causality, and the serious side effects that really can be attributed to the vaccine are extremely rare. As with all vaccines, these also have side effects, but in the light of the knowledge we have, it is quite clear that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far, says Lehesjoki.
The fact that corona vaccines could be developed so quickly was the culmination of intensive international cooperation, based on vaccine research that had been going on for several years before the covid-19 pandemic. While many questions remain unanswered, vaccines have a long-established scientific basis.
– The vaccine resistance in society is definitely worrying. I would encourage everyone to take the vaccine, concludes Lehesjoki.
Gun Eklund, who is CEO of Folkhälsan's service production for the elderly and child care throughout Swedish Finland, monitors the reports on the vaccination rate closely.
– It is important that everyone gets vaccinated. I am grateful that most people in Folkhälsan's service production have chosen to take the vaccine, says Eklund.
At Folkhälsan, our occupational health care provides information and support if the decision feels difficult.
Eklund is also grateful and proud that the staff has been able to use protective equipment correctly and follow the directives so that individual cases that may have led to an outbreak have been avoided.
– When the restrictions regarding protective equipment are eventually eased, I hope that those who are still unvaccinated will consider the matter once again and take the vaccine, both for their own, their colleagues and clients' sake. At Folkhälsan, our occupational health care provides information and support if the decision feels difficult, says Eklund.
Folkhälsan has very broad course and group activities throughout Swedish Finland and Viveca Hagmark, director of the Folkhälsan Association, both notices and feels great joy that people have started to be able to meet again.
– It is noticeable how important it is that people have the opportunity to meet physically and not only by virtual means in front of a computer. We strongly recommend that everyone is vaccinated and take responsibility for both their own and others' health, says Hagmark.
Doubtful sources of information seem to play a major role in vaccine resistance overall. This is something Folkhälsan Educations' CEO Tomas Järvinen wants to confront.
– As an educational actor, Folkhälsan aims to contribute to increased health literacy, which includes source criticism, source trust and knowledge of what may be concidered trustworthy a source. In the work at Solvalla, Norrvalla and the youth workshop Førregångarna, we have noticed that especially young people are having a hard time coping with the restrictions. This is another reason why it is important to achieve a sufficiently strong herd protection as soon as possible, says Järvinen.
Text: Simon Granroth and Hanna Rundell
Image: Unsplash
