25 May 2026
Following a massive 2023 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak across 71 fur farms that exposed over 150 people, Finland became the first country to offer a targeted H5 vaccine to fur and poultry workers in July 2024. Despite securing 20,000 doses for an estimated 10,000 at-risk individuals, the voluntary campaign faced steep resistance. According to the official Finnish vaccination register, between July 2024 and October 2025:
- 8.6% of the target population received the first dose.
- Only 7.5% completed the full two-dose series.
To understand these barriers, researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the University of Eastern Finland conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with health experts, authorities, and industry stakeholders in the Ostrobothnia region. The thematic analysis highlighted three primary dimensions that derailed the intervention:
The rollout launched during peak summer vacations, causing severe healthcare staffing shortages that prevented the use of mobile clinics. Organizers also lacked centralized registries to effectively reach seasonal or foreign laborers.
While authorities focused on pandemic prevention and personal health, farmers prioritized economic survival. Recovering from the 2023 crisis, their main anxiety was financial ruin from potential mass animal cullings. Because the human vaccine could not protect their livestock or prevent culling orders, interest plummeted. Knowledge gaps also caused some to believe the vaccine was for animals, or to view the rapid rollout as an experiment.
A severe erosion of trust occurred between the fur industry and national health authorities following mandatory animal cullings in 2023. Industry advocates felt scapegoated and stigmatized by bureaucratic national communications. Consequently, while farmers highly trusted local municipal doctors and occupational nurses, they rejected voluntary guidelines issued by national bodies.
Perhaps this failure was foreseeable, given that the initiative to vaccinate these designated at-risk workers lacked solid scientific data demonstrating that individuals in direct contact with infected mink or poultry had actually contracted or fallen ill from the avian influenza virus.
Härmä et al. (2026). Lessons from the 2024 avian influenza vaccination campaign in Finland: a qualitative inquiry. Vaccine, 86, 128736.
