Health authorities in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region are raising the alarm as reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to surge, with gonorrhea cases showing a particularly stark increase.
The incidence of gonorrhea in Finland has doubled since 2021. There were nearly 1,000 cases recorded in 2022 and an equal number by September of this year, with two-thirds occurring within the HUS (Helsinki University Hospital) area.
Eeva Ruotsalainen, a deputy chief physician of infectious diseases at the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS), told the public broadcasting company that the coronavirus, influenza and respiratory syncytial (RS) virus pose the threat of a triple epidemic this autumn and early winter.
The Hospital District of Lapland on Tuesday announced it is recommending fourth vaccine doses to social and health care staff, despite the doses not being recommended by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).