Espoo allocates Moderna vaccines about to expire to people who have not received their second dose, people with immunodeficiency, and health care and social welfare staff
A large number of Moderna coronavirus vaccines are about to expire in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS). At a meeting of the Uusimaa regional coordination group, HUS and the municipalities decided to initiate the administration of third doses of the coronavirus vaccine immediately, before the amendment of the vaccination decree enters into force, in order to make full use of the existing batch of vaccines that is about to expire.
In Espoo, the batch of vaccines about to expire will mainly be allocated to the Metro Areena vaccination site. You can visit the site without booking an appointment to get your second dose of the Moderna vaccine from Monday to Wednesday 20–22 September 9:30–14:30. On Wednesday, the site will also be open from 16:00 to 19:00. Please note that at least six weeks must have passed since you received your first dose.
People can get their third dose at Metro Areena without booking an appointment if they have severe immunodeficiency and at least 2 months have passed since their second dose of the vaccine. The vaccination site will be open for this group from Monday to Wednesday 20–22 September 9:30–14:30. You may have to queue at the vaccination site. Immunodeficiency diagnoses will be verified at the vaccination site. If possible, you should bring proof of your immunodeficiency.
The following conditions are considered to cause severe immunodeficiency:
- organ transplant
- stem cell transplant
- severe or moderate congenital immunodeficiency
- immunosuppressive cancer treatment
- treatment of an autoimmune disease with immunosuppressive biological drugs or JAK inhibitors
- dialysis and severe chronic kidney failure
- advanced or untreated HIV
- other severe immunosuppressive condition diagnosed by a doctor.
After Wednesday 22 September, people with severe immunodeficiency can get a third dose of the vaccine at the Iso Omena vaccination site without booking an appointment from Monday to Friday 9:30–11:30 and 12:15–15:00.
Vaccines will also be given to health care and social welfare personnel who work with coronavirus patients and who received their first and second doses three weeks apart at the beginning of the year. Professionals belonging to this group will be informed of the matter through their superiors.
For the third doses, we will be using a batch of Moderna Spikevax vaccines that will expire on 22 September. We will provide more information on third vaccine doses for the rest of the population once the vaccination decree has been amended and we know more.