Unjabbed and unsafe? Jab-dodging parents spark health scare in Finland’s ‘no-go’ coast.
Credit: Irina Mikhailichenko, Shutterstock
Once seen as a routine part of growing up, vaccinations in Finland’s Central Ostrobothnia are now sparking a rural rebellion — and it’s putting little lives at risk according to doctors.
Latest figures reveal the region has the highest rate of unvaccinated three-year-olds in mainland Finland, with 3.7 percent of tots born in 2022 missing all their jabs. That’s almost double the national figure of 1.9 percent.
And it’s not just a fluke — this corner of Finland has long been suspicious of syringes. Along the Ostrobothnian coast, jab hesitancy has deep roots. Although coverage improved after 2016, the trend is now backsliding.
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‘I’m waiting a few more years’ – Mum’s chilling confession
One 34-year-old mother of three, speaking to Finnish news outlet Yle, admitted she’s decided to hold off on vaccinating her youngest child, now aged two.
‘After every vaccination, my middle child suffered from severe ear infections and breathing difficulties,’ she said. ‘I’m waiting a few more years before vaccinating my youngest — if I decide to vaccinate at all.’
The little one should already have had protection against nasties like rotavirus, pneumonia, sepsis, whooping cough and polio — but for now, they’re flying solo.
And it’s not just about the old vaccines either. What’s really fuelling fear among some parents are newer vaccines.
Vaccines that are suddenly developed and immediately administered are causing concern among parents. Many don’t want to put their children through what they consider an ‘experiment’. Media stories of dodgy medications and dangerous vaccines since the 70s are fueling a lack of trust in a lab to jab system that has seemed to speed up rather than slow down. The feeling is that big drug companies are pushing out vaccines faster to make money faster, and that patients are being used as guinea pigs rather than making sure the drugs are fully safe before they are approved. But how true is this?
The coast where caution trumps protection
Health experts are raising the alarm. In a jaw-dropping twist, some parents are now leaving the decision to their children — once they’re “old enough” to decide for themselves. But experts say that while the idea sounds very romantic, the reality is that waiting is a dangerous game.
They warn that vaccinations are recommended at specific ages for a reason. Jabs shield kids when they need it most — but when too many parents say no, the risk of deadly outbreaks soar. And it’s not just the community at risk — unvaccinated children themselves face a far greater chance of falling seriously ill.
A measles near-miss no one should forget
Locals had a close shave seven years ago when an unvaccinated kindergartener in Luoto — a stone’s throw from Central Ostrobothnia’s hub, Kokkola — came down with measles, exposing around 400 people to the disease.
While measles isn’t usually serious, it can be serious and even deadly in children under 5 and people with weakened immune systems. It was a race against the clock. Emergency vaccinations with the MMR jab saved the day — but experts warn the next outbreak could be worse.
Part of the jab scepticism in Ostrobothnia has been linked to cultural ties with neighbouring Sweden, where vaccine hesitancy also has a foothold. And, as ever, social media whisper campaigns aren’t helping.
So is Central Ostrobothnia risking a public health car crash? Who’s doing the driving; fear, or facts?
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