Growing Ignorance of COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Ethiopia: Experts' Perspective on the Need of Effective Health Communication Strategies

Despite the recent surge of COVID-19 infections in Ethiopia, we are observing a profound ignorance of preventive measures by the general public and leaders at different levels. This is presenting considerable challenges in the effort to contain and control the pandemic. We believe that the current health communication approach implemented by the health authorities and media outlets need to be redesigned to bring a sustainable COVID-19 preventive behavior. The purpose of this perspective paper, therefore, is to stimulate discussions on effective health communication strategy to help the public persistently practice COVID-19 preventive measures over the long term. We undertook a series of discussions amongst the authors in order to synthesize individual viewpoints into ‘experts'' perspective’ driven by our daily observations and our expertise in the health service research. In light of this, we suggested that an effective health communication strategy need to address context specific situations to avoid temptation to ignore the ramifications of this very serious pandemic. This strategy includes trying to make sense of daily reported COVID-19 cases, being highly selective regarding sources of information, and being sensitive and responsive to religious and cultural factors. The media, health professionals, and leaders need to teach us how to live with the pandemic informed by robust scientific sources.     

Unlocking infodemics and mysteries in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Nexus of conspiracy beliefs,digital informational support,psychological Well-being,and religious fatalism

Guarding against an anti-science camouflage within infodemics is paramount for sustaining the global vaccination drive. Vaccine hesitancy remains a growing concern and a significant threat to public health, especially in developing countries. Infodemics, conspiracy beliefs and religious fatalism primarily fuel vaccine hesitancy. In addition, anti-vaccine disinformation, lack of understanding, and erroneous religious beliefs also trigger vaccine hesitancy. Global behavioral strategies such as wearing face masks and long-term preventive measures (i.e., COVID-19 vaccination) have effectively limited the virus's spread. Despite the alarming rate of global deaths (i.e., over 99% being unvaccinated), a large proportion of the global population remains reluctant to vaccinate. New evidence validates the usefulness of technology-driven communication strategies (i.e., digital interventions) to address the complex socio-psychological influence of the pandemic. Hence, the present research explored the digital information processing model to assess the interface between informational support (through digital interventions) and antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. This research involved two separate studies: a focus group to operationalize the construct of infodemics, which remained ambiguous in previous literature (Study 1), followed by a cross-sectional survey (Study 2) to examine the conceptual model. Data were collected from 1906 respondents through a standard questionnaire administered online. The focus group’s findings revealed a multi-dimensional nature of infodemics that was also validated in Study 2. The cross-sectional survey results substantiated infodemics, religious fatalism and conspiracy beliefs as significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy. Similarly, conspiracy beliefs negatively influence an individual’s psychological well-being. Furthermore, information support (through digital intervention) affected infodemics and religious fatalism, whereas it inversely influenced the strength of their relationships with vaccine hesitancy. Information support (through digital intervention) also moderated the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and psychological well-being.     

Pandemics,infodemics and health promotion

The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying infodemic are significant public health issues. The COVID-19 infodemic has been prolific from early in the pandemic response, and has continued to escalate during vaccine rollout. COVID-19 is the first pandemic in the social media era, expediting the need for effective measures to manage the high volume of information and misinformation. To address the infodemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and others have commenced a comprehensive program of work, building capacity, raising awareness and developing new tools and methods. As part of the WHO capacity building effort, they have developed a comprehensive infodemic manager training program. The authors of this paper are Australian alumni from the first two training courses, all authors have health promotion backgrounds. Health Promotion Practitioners are uniquely positioned to build on existing skills, knowledge and reach to develop preventative strategies to help mitigate infodemics. This paper offers our combined perspectives on why the infodemic is a significant health promotion concern and the role we believe Health Promotion Practitioners can play in managing and mitigating the infodemic.     

Parallels and Mutual Lessons in Tuberculosis and COVID-19 Transmission,Prevention, and Control

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had unprecedented negative effects on global health and economies, drawing attention and resources from many other public health services. To minimize negative effects, the parallels, lessons, and resources from existing public health programs need to be identified and used. Often underappreciated synergies relating to COVID-19 are with tuberculosis (TB). COVID-19 and TB share commonalities in transmission and public health response: case finding, contact identification, and evaluation. Data supporting interventions for either disease are, understandably, vastly different, given the diseases’ different histories. However, many of the evolving issues affecting these diseases are increasingly similar. As previously done for TB, all aspects of congregate investigations and preventive and therapeutic measures for COVID-19 must be prospectively studied for optimal evidence-based interventions. New attention garnered by the pandemic can ensure that knowledge and investment can benefit both COVID-19 response and traditional public health programs such as TB programs.     

A comparison of health system responses to COVID-19 in Bulgaria,Croatia and Romania in 2020

This article compares the health system responses to COVID-19 in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania from February 2020 until the end of 2020. It explores similarities and differences between the three countries, building primarily on the methodology and content compiled in the COVID-19 Health System Response Monitor (HSRM). We find that all three countries entered the COVID-19 crisis with common problems, including workforce shortages and underdeveloped and underutilized preventive and primary care. The countries reacted swiftly to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, declaring a state of emergency in March 2020 and setting up new governance mechanisms. The initial response benefited from a centralized approach and high levels of public trust but proved to be only a short-term solution. Over time, governance became dominated by political and economic considerations, communication to the public became contradictory, and levels of public trust declined dramatically. The three countries created additional bed capacity for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the first wave, but a greater challenge was to ensure a sufficient supply of qualified health workers. New digital and remote tools for the provision of non-COVID-19 health services were introduced or used more widely, with an increase in telephone or online consultations and a simplification of administrative procedures. However, the provision and uptake of non-COVID-19 health services was still affected negatively by the pandemic. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed pre-existing health system and governance challenges in the three countries, leading to a large number of preventable deaths.     

The Interplay Between Policy and COVID-19 Outbreaks in South Asia: Longitudinal Trend Analysis of Surveillance Data

BackgroundCOVID-19 transmission rates in South Asia initially were under control when governments implemented health policies aimed at controlling the pandemic such as quarantines, travel bans, and border, business, and school closures. Governments have since relaxed public health restrictions, which resulted in significant outbreaks, shifting the global epicenter of COVID-19 to India. Ongoing systematic public health surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic is needed to inform disease prevention policy to re-establish control over the pandemic within South Asia.ObjectiveThis study aimed to inform public health leaders about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, how South Asia displays differences within and among countries and other global regions, and where immediate action is needed to control the outbreaks.MethodsWe extracted COVID-19 data spanning 62 days from public health registries and calculated traditional and enhanced surveillance metrics. We use an empirical difference equation to measure the daily number of cases in South Asia as a function of the prior number of cases, the level of testing, and weekly shifts in variables with a dynamic panel model that was estimated using the generalized method of moments approach by implementing the Arellano–Bond estimator in R.ResultsTraditional surveillance metrics indicate that South Asian countries have an alarming outbreak, with India leading the region with 310,310 new daily cases in accordance with the 7-day moving average. Enhanced surveillance indicates that while Pakistan and Bangladesh still have a high daily number of new COVID-19 cases (n=4819 and n=3878, respectively), their speed of new infections declined from April 12-25, 2021, from 2.28 to 2.18 and 3.15 to 2.35 daily new infections per 100,000 population, respectively, which suggests that their outbreaks are decreasing and that these countries are headed in the right direction. In contrast, India’s speed of new infections per 100,000 population increased by 52% during the same period from 14.79 to 22.49 new cases per day per 100,000 population, which constitutes an increased outbreak.ConclusionsRelaxation of public health restrictions and the spread of novel variants fueled the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Asia. Public health surveillance indicates that shifts in policy and the spread of new variants correlate with a drastic expansion in the pandemic, requiring immediate action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Surveillance is needed to inform leaders whether policies help control the pandemic.     

Immunocompromise among vaccinated versus unvaccinated COVID-19 cases admitted to critical care in Ireland,July to October 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, so too did the proportion of cases admitted to critical care in Ireland who were fully vaccinated. Reporting of this observation has public health implications as incorrect interpretation may affect public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. A potential explanation is the reduced ability of those who are immunocompromised to produce an adequate, sustained immune response to vaccination. We conducted an analysis of the association between COVID-19 vaccination status and underlying degree of immunocompromise among a cohort of critical care patients all with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted to critical care between July and October 2021. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate an odds ratio of immunocompromise among vaccinated COVID-19 cases in critical care compared to unvaccinated cases. In this study, we found a statistically significant association between the vaccination status of severe COVID-19 cases requiring critical care admission and underlying immunocompromise. Fully vaccinated patients were significantly more likely to be highly (OR = 19.3, 95 % CI 7.7–48.1) or moderately immunocompromised (OR = 9.6, 95 % CI 5.0–18.1) compared to unvaccinated patients with COVID-19. These findings support our hypothesis, that highly immunocompromised patients are less likely to produce an adequate and sustained immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, and are therefore more likely to require critical care admission for COVID-19 infection.     

The Anticipated Future of Public Health Services Post COVID-19: Viewpoint

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various public health functions and essential services in different ways and magnitudes. Although all countries have witnessed the effect of COVID-19, the impact differed based on many factors including the integrity and resiliency of the countries’ health systems. This paper presents opinions and expectations of the authors about the anticipated changes in the future of public health at the global, regional, and national levels. The viewpoint is based on the current efforts and challenges that various stakeholders have carried out to control COVID-19 and the contribution from the literature on the future of public health. Numerous agencies and actors are involved in the fight against COVID-19 with variations in their effectiveness. The public health services showed weaknesses in most of the countries, in addition to the lack of adequate curative medicine settings. The pandemic highlighted the need for better governance and stronger and more resilient health systems and capacities. The COVID-19 experience has also emphasized the importance of coordination and collaboration among the countries and stakeholders. The COVID-19 pandemic might lead to a wide discussion to improve international and national approaches to prepare for and respond to similar events in terms of preparedness and response mechanisms and tools. Public health will not be the same as before COVID-19. New health priorities, approaches, and new agendas will be on the table of the global platforms and initiatives. More investment in research and technology to meet the demand for new vaccines and medicines, innovative methods like distance learning and working, more respect and remuneration to health professionals, and normalization of the public health and social measures that were induced during the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to be seen in future.     

Public health policies and health-care workers’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic,Thailand

Since January 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on global morbidity and mortality. The effects of varying degrees of implementation of public health and social measures between countries is evident in terms of widely differing disease burdens and levels of disruption to public health systems. Despite Thailand being the first country outside China to report a positive case of COVID-19, the subsequent number of cases and deaths has been much lower than in many other countries. As of 7 January 2021, the number of confirmed COVID-19-positive cases in Thailand was 9636 (138 per million population) and the number of deaths was 67 (1 per million population). We describe the nature of the health workforce and function that facilitated the capacity to respond to this pandemic. We also describe the public health policies (laboratory testing, test-and-trace system and mandatory 14-day quarantine of cases) and social interventions (daily briefings, restriction of mobility and social gatherings, and wearing of face masks) that allowed the virus to be successfully contained. To enhance the capacity of health-care workers to respond to the pandemic, the government (i) mobilized staff to meet the required surge capacity; (ii) developed and implemented policies to protect occupational safety; and (iii) initiated packages to support morale and well-being. The results of the policies that we describe are evident in the data: of the 66 countries with more than 100 COVID-19-positive cases in health-care workers as at 8 May 2020, Thailand ranked 65th.     

Leveraging Informatics and Technology to Support Public Health Response: Framework and Illustrations using COVID-19

ObjectiveTo develop a conceptual model and novel, comprehensive framework that encompass the myriad ways informatics and technology can support public health response to a pandemic.MethodThe conceptual model and framework categorize informatics solutions that could be used by stakeholders (e.g., government, academic institutions, healthcare providers and payers, life science companies, employers, citizens) to address public health challenges across the prepare, respond, and recover phases of a pandemic, building on existing models for public health operations and response.ResultsMapping existing solutions, technology assets, and ideas to the framework helped identify public health informatics solution requirements and gaps in responding to COVID-19 in areas such as applied science, epidemiology, communications, and business continuity. Two examples of technologies used in COVID-19 illustrate novel applications of informatics encompassed by the framework. First, we examine a hub from The Weather Channel, which provides COVID-19 data via interactive maps, trend graphs, and details on case data to individuals and businesses. Second, we examine IBM Watson Assistant for Citizens, an AI-powered virtual agent implemented by healthcare providers and payers, government agencies, and employers to provide information about COVID-19 via digital and telephone-based interaction.DiscussionEarly results from these novel informatics solutions have been positive, showing high levels of engagement and added value across stakeholders.ConclusionThe framework supports development, application, and evaluation of informatics approaches and technologies in support of public health preparedness, response, and recovery during a pandemic. Effective solutions are critical to success in recovery from COVID-19 and future pandemics.     

Vaccines: New challenges,new paradigms,new opportunities: Report of the 22nd DCVMN Annual General Meeting

The Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network held its 22nd Annual General Meeting in October 2021. Vaccine manufacturing experts, leaders from global public health organizations and dignitaries from governments and multilateral organizations discussed the challenges and opportunities emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 350 delegates from 33 countries, representing over 70 organizations partook in the meetings deliberations.The development and scaled-up production of several safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 resulted in over 12 billion doses being produced by the end of 2021. Unfortunately, this scientific achievement and outstanding industry effort has been overshadowed by the striking inequity in access to COVID-19 vaccines. High and upper middle-income countries have received 75% of the vaccines, while in Africa, less than 5% of the people are fully vaccinated. The inequitable access to vaccines is an issue of national health security, which has stressed the need to establish local vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. Key partnerships, initiatives and the deliberate strategies required to achieve sustainable manufacturing on the continent were discussed. The ability to acquire technology, access markets and financing mechanisms, and workforce development were reported as key enablers to achieving a healthy ecosystem.Innovative vaccine technologies, new regulatory approaches, and the importance of voluntary technology transfers in increasing the global supply capacity of both COVID-19 vaccines and traditional vaccines were highlighted. In reviewing the lessons learned from the pandemic, speakers shared a consensus that innovation and partnerships will be central to any solution proposed to mitigate the current pandemic and prepare for future ones.     

On the imperative of thinking through the ethical,health equity,and social justice possibilities and limits of digital technologies in public health

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated both the positive and negative use, usefulness, and impact of digital technologies in public health. Digitalization can help advance and sustain the core functions of public health, including health promotion and prevention, epidemiological surveillance, and response to emergent health issues. Digital technologies are thus—in some areas of public discourse—presented as being both necessary and inevitable requirements to address routine and emergency public health issues. However, the circumstances, ways, and extent to which they apply remain a subject of critical reflection and empirical investigation. In this commentary, we argue that we must think through the use of digital technologies in public health and that their usefulness must be assessed in relation to their short- and long-term ethical, health equity, and social justice implications. Neither a sense of digital technological optimism and determinism nor the demands of addressing pressing public health issues should override critical assessment before development and implementation. The urgency of addressing public health emergencies such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requires prompt and effective action, including action facilitated by digital technologies. Nevertheless, a sense of urgency cannot be an excuse or a substitute for a critical assessment of the tools employed.     

Making the COVID-19 Pandemic a Driver for Digital Health: Brazilian Strategies

The COVID-19 outbreak exposed several problems faced by health systems worldwide, especially concerning the safe and rapid generation and sharing of health data. However, this pandemic scenario has also facilitated the rapid implementation and monitoring of technologies in the health field. In view of the occurrence of the public emergency caused by SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil, the Department of Informatics of the Brazilian Unified Health System created a contingency plan. In this paper, we aim to report the digital health strategies applied in Brazil and the first results obtained during the fight against COVID-19. Conecte SUS, a platform created to store all the health data of an individual throughout their life, is the center point of the Brazilian digital strategy. Access to the platform can be obtained through an app by the patient and the health professionals involved in the case. Health data sharing became possible due to the creation of the National Health Data Network (Rede Nacional de Dados em Saúde, RNDS). A mobile app was developed to guide citizens regarding the need to go to a health facility and to assist in disseminating official news about the virus. The mobile app can also alert the user if they have had contact with an infected person. The official numbers of cases and available hospital beds are updated and published daily on a website containing interactive graphs. These data are obtained due to creating a web-based notification system that uses the RNDS to share information about the cases. Preclinical care through telemedicine has become essential to prevent overload in health facilities. The exchange of experiences between medical teams from large centers and small hospitals was made possible using telehealth. Brazil took a giant step toward digital health adoption, creating and implementing important initiatives; however, these initiatives do not yet cover the entire health system. It is expected that the sharing of health data that are maintained and authorized by the patient will become a reality in the near future. The intention is to obtain better clinical outcomes, cost reduction, and faster and better services in the public health network.     

New obstacles and widening gaps: A qualitative study of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. adults with disabilities

BackgroundPrior research has demonstrated that the needs of the disability community have not been met during public health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities for many populations including people with disabilities, and data is needed to develop inclusive public health response policies.ObjectiveTo identify how COVID-19 has uniquely impacted the lives of adults with disabilities.Methods38 participants were recruited through disability advocacy groups and social media. Semi-structured virtual focus groups were conducted with adults (≥18 years) who self-identified as having a disability. Focus groups were conducted for each of six disability sub-groups: vision, hearing, mobility and physical, mental health, cognitive, intellectual, and developmental, and chronic illness. Using inductive coding, major themes were identified and compared across the disability sub-groups.ResultsThree major themes and thirteen sub-themes were identified from the focus groups. The three major themes comprised: new problems created by the pandemic, obstacles in daily life that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and broader changes to accessibility and disability identity. Sub-themes such as difficulty with COVID-19 testing and regular medical care were reported by participants of all disability sub-groups, while other sub-themes like direct care needs and medical rationing were reported by participants from a subset of the disability sub-groups.ConclusionsThese results indicate how the COVID-19 pandemic unequally impacts disabled people. The participants indicated that to fully address their needs, disability perspectives must be included in the public health pandemic response. As new research shows that COVID-19 can cause long-term disability, the urgency to ensure the disability community is part of public health policies will increase.     

COVID-19 Mortality in Europe,by Latitude and Obesity Status: A Geo-Spatial Analysis in 40 Countries

On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a public health emergency of international concern and later characterized it as a pandemic. New data show that excess body mass and vitamin D deficiency might be related to the disease severity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether latitude, as a proxy of sunlight exposure and Vitamin D synthesis, and prevalent obesity among European populations, is related to COVID-19 spread and severity. European COVID-19 data (incidence and fatality), including information on the prevalence of obesity, social distancing, and others were obtained by the “Our World in Data” website on 17 April 2021. Adjusted analysis showed that higher COVID-19 incidence and fatality were pictured in countries being in higher latitude, both during the whole period, as well as, during the time period 1 November 2020–31 March 2021. Higher incidence and fatality of COVID-19 were observed where the prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher during the whole time period, whereas during the time period 1 November 2020–31 March 2021, only COVID-19 incidence was higher but not a fatality. The present results provide insights for targeted interventions and preventive strategies against COVID-19.     

COVID-19 Surveillance in the Biobank at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine: Observational Study

BackgroundCharacterizing the experience and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among various populations remains challenging due to the limitations inherent in common data sources, such as electronic health records (EHRs) or cross-sectional surveys.ObjectiveThis study aims to describe testing behaviors, symptoms, impact, vaccination status, and case ascertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic using integrated data sources.MethodsIn summer 2020 and 2021, we surveyed participants enrolled in the Biobank at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM; N=180,599) about their experience with COVID-19. The prevalence of testing, symptoms, and impacts of COVID-19 on employment, family life, and physical and mental health were calculated overall and by demographic categories. Survey respondents who reported receiving a positive COVID-19 test result were considered a “confirmed case” of COVID-19. Using EHRs, we compared COVID-19 case ascertainment and characteristics in EHRs versus the survey. Positive cases were identified in EHRs using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes, health care encounter types, and encounter primary diagnoses.ResultsOf the 25,063 (13.9%) survey respondents, 10,661 (42.5%) had been tested for COVID-19, and of those, 1366 (12.8%) tested positive. Nearly half of those tested had symptoms or had been exposed to someone who was infected. Young adults (18-29 years) and Hispanics were more likely to have positive tests compared to older adults and persons of other racial/ethnic groups. Mental health (n=13,688, 54.6%) and family life (n=12,233, 48.8%) were most negatively affected by the pandemic and more so among younger groups and women; negative impacts on employment were more commonly reported among Black respondents. Of the 10,249 individuals who responded to vaccination questions from version 2 of the survey (summer 2021), 9770 (95.3%) had received the vaccine. After integration with EHR data up to the time of the survey completion, 1006 (4%) of the survey respondents had a discordant COVID-19 case status between EHRs and the survey. Using all longitudinal EHR and survey data, we identified 11,472 (6.4%) COVID-19-positive cases among Biobank participants. In comparison to COVID-19 cases identified through the survey, EHR-identified cases were younger and more likely to be Hispanic.ConclusionsWe found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching and varying effects among our Biobank participants. Integrated data assets, such as the Biobank at the CCPM, are key resources for population health monitoring in response to public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.     

COVID-19 pandemic containment in the Caribbean Region: A review of case-management and public health strategies

COVID-19 emerged initially from Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in late December 2019, and since then, it has spread globally to be declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Caribbean region started reporting COVID-19 cases in early March 2020, triggering new regional public health crises. The initial suspects and confirmed cases across the Caribbean countries were mainly imported cases and from cruise ships. The clinical manifestations varied from fever, cough, and malaise in mild cases to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and shock in severe cases. The Caribbean Public Health Agency has provided frequent updates on the preventive strategies and quarantine measures across the Caribbean member states. COVID-19 has had a serious impact on the Caribbean region''s health system, economy, and psychology. This review presents the Caribbean perspective of COVID-19, detailing the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management, and preventive and surveillance measures. Vaccine hesitancy was found to be a major challenge that needs appropriate health education strategies to address the public. Strong leadership and regional collaboration among the Caribbean member states are necessary to provide optimal real-time data to the public and implement appropriate and effective guidelines in the island states.     

Trends in COVID-19 Testing and Positivity Rates from a Mobile Testing Program in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a global concern, with over 150 million cases worldwide. Arizona, which was recently a hotspot for COVID-19, has over 860 thousand cases. Reviewing the COVID-19 trends over time is crucial in understanding the pandemic and evaluating the impact of mitigation techniques. This current study analyzes the trends in COVID-19 testing and positivity rates from a mobile testing program in the Phoenix metropolitan area between December 2020 and April 2021. Of the 32,234 tests performed there was a total of 3654 COVID positive cases, yielding an overall positivity rate of 11.3%. COVID-19 positivity rates were significantly higher in December (12.9%) and January (12.7%), compared to February (7.5%), March (4.9%), and April (6.7%), p?<?0.05. The peak of COVID-19 cases is likely attributable to the holiday season and family gatherings, followed by a steady decline, likely due to fewer gatherings and an increase in individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. Continued public health measures, including vaccinations, are critical in reducing COVID-19 transmission.

     

COVID-19 in Finland: Vaccination strategy as part of the wider governing of the pandemic

ObjectivesTo analyze the vaccination strategy as part of wider public governing of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland.MethodsThe study provides a synthesis of vaccination strategy and health policy measures, as well as economic challenges, in the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. The analysis is based on the systematic collection and reviewing of documents and reports. The review was complemented with relevant pandemic and vaccination monitoring data from Finland.ResultsThe vaccination strategy approved by the Finnish Government in December 2020 prioritised various risk groups and health and social care professionals attending to COVID-19 patients. The Government has purchased COVID-19 vaccines through the EU joint procurement programme. Vaccinations were organised by municipalities and offered free of charge. The Government recommends universal vaccinations, including foreign residents and undocumented migrants. In 2021, the Government adopted a revised COVID-19 hybrid strategy, which aimed to dismantle wide restrictions as a means to control the epidemic. Despite high vaccination coverage, the Omicron variant became widespread in the population. The economic consequences of the pandemic have been less severe than expected.ConclusionsIn the approach to manage the pandemic, the vaccination strategy has a central role. Finland has probably benefitted from the EU joint vaccine procurement programme. The rapid launch of the vaccinations was supported by the existing vaccination capacity in municipalities. High vaccine coverage was seen as a key in opening society. Although a relatively high vaccination rate was not able to stop the spread of Omicron in late 2021, it has efficiently curbed serious cases and kept the death rate low.