The proportion of unvaccinated children is on the rise in Finland, the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) warned on Thursday.
According to the public health agency, the highest share of completely unvaccinated youngsters is in the Åland Islands, an autonomous region between Finland and Sweden.
"Vaccine hesitancy and vaccine scepticism have increased in several regions in Finland," the THL said.
In the maritime Åland region, 5.2 percent of children turning three this year have not been vaccinated at all.
In the wellbeing services counties of East Uusimaa, North Ostrobothnia and Päijät-Häme, the share also exceeds three percent.
In contrast, in most of eastern Finland the share of unimmunised children remains around one percent. That was around the long-term average nationally in the pre-Covid years.
Among children born in 2016–19, the unvaccinated share was still around one percent, but it has risen steadily since then. For children born in 2022, the share is 1.8 percent.
Vaccination training in Åland and East Uusimaa
Mia Kontio, team leader of THL's vaccination programme, stressed that all vaccines in the national immunisation programme are essential.
"Many of the diseases we vaccinate against can be especially dangerous for small children," she said in a statement on Thursday.
Coverage for the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, has declined for three consecutive years. It is only about 92 percent among children born in 2018.
THL experts say that coverage must be at least 95 percent to prevent isolated measles cases from causing potentially deadly outbreaks.
Last autumn, the THL began training and guidance for healthcare professionals in Åland and East Uusimaa on how to support parents who are unsure about vaccinations.
"It is extremely important that parents considering whether to vaccinate their child can have a calm discussion with a healthcare professional about their concerns," Kontio said.
Some Swedish parents with far-right views have moved to Åland in order to homeschool their children, which is generally banned in Sweden.
In the United States, for example, a Washington Post study last autumn found that parents who choose to skip vaccines for their children are more likely to homeschool them and be religious and conservative.
Last year, the number of measles outbreaks in the US spiked to a 35-year high, with several deaths.
