Shortly after Finland introduced the Covid-19 vaccination requirement to people, who work with high-risk patients in health and social care institutions, some institutions have had to bring back a part of suspended workers, the Finnish public broadcaster YLE reports.
In the first week of February, an amendment to Finland’s Communicable Diseases Act requiring Covid-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers went into force. Consequently, hospital districts transferred or suspended pay for unvaccinated employees.
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Unlike the vaccine mandate in other countries, the law allows the employment of unvaccinated individuals in special circumstances. Because of acute shortage in staff, especially in nursing homes, institutions have turned to using the law’s permission to employ unvaccinated individuals in special circumstances.
«We have had to employ unvaccinated healthcare workers using the special circumstances condition in certain units due to a severe shortage of staff,» noted Anu Koivumäki from the South Karelia Social and Health Care District in south-eastern Finland, as quoted by the YLE.
Finland calls back some unvaccinated healthcare workers after introducing vaccination mandate
