Finland
Travel Destination – Finland
Finland is renowned for tranquil lake districts and Arctic wilderness, offering year-round opportunities for hiking, skiing, cycling, and wildlife viewing. Travellers often visit Helsinki for its striking architecture, vibrant design scene, and waterfront markets, while the country’s northern regions attract visitors hoping to see the Northern Lights or experience winter activities in Lapland.
Finland maintains a highly developed healthcare system, with excellent sanitation standards. Nevertheless, travellers should still prepare carefully for their trip, especially if outdoor activities are planned.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
Before travelling to Finland, scheduling an appointment with a travel health doctor six to eight weeks before departure is recommended. A travel health consultation allows your doctor to review your vaccination history, prescribe any necessary medications, and discuss any travel-specific health considerations relevant to your itinerary. Even if your trip is approaching sooner, a last-minute consultation can still provide valuable health guidance.
Your doctor can provide tailored advice depending on your travel plans, whether you intend to explore Helsinki and other major cities, visit national parks, travel to the Arctic region of Lapland, or participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, or camping. Travellers should also ensure they have comprehensive travel insurance that covers overseas medical treatment and emergency evacuation if required.
Insect avoidance
During warmer months in Finland, mosquitoes and ticks are common in forested and lakeside areas. Although mosquito bites rarely transmit serious illness in the country, ticks can occasionally spread infections such as lyme disease in parts of Northern and Central Europe.
Travellers planning outdoor activities should take steps to minimise insect bites. Wear long-sleeved clothing and closed-toe footwear to reduce skin exposure in grassy or wooded areas and treat clothing with permethrin for additional protection. Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. After spending time outdoors, travellers should check their skin and clothing carefully for ticks and remove any promptly. Showering soon after returning indoors can also help identify ticks early.
Food and water hygiene
Finnish cuisine features fresh fish, berries, hearty breads, and traditional dishes such as salmon soup and reindeer stew. Food and water safety standards throughout Finland are very high, however, travellers may still occasionally experience gastroenteritis. Common causes include food contaminated with bacteria or viruses transmitted in large close-contact gatherings.
Maintaining good hand hygiene remains one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal illness. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating or preparing food is recommended, or using alcohol-based hand sanitiser if handwashing facilities are unavailable. To further reduce the risk of illness, choose freshly prepared meals that are served hot and exercise caution with buffet-style foods that may sit at room temperature for extended periods.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for Finland?
Measles
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Measles is a highly contagious viral infection causing fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a widespread rash. The virus spreads easily through airborne respiratory droplets when infected people cough, sneeze, or breathe in close proximity to others. Although vaccination programs have reduced cases in many countries, outbreaks still occur across Europe. Travellers born during or after 1966 should ensure they have received two documented doses of a measles-containing vaccine such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) before travelling overseas.
Influenza
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Influenza is a contagious seasonal viral respiratory infection transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets produced by infected people. Peak periods in Finland include Northern Hemisphere winter, but infection can occur at all times of the year with international travel. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all travellers aged six months and older, particularly older adults, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic health conditions.
COVID-19
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COVID-19 continues to circulate internationally, including throughout Finland. The contagious respiratory illness is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is transmitted primarily through airborne particles and close contact. Symptoms may include fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat, shortness of breath, and loss of taste or smell.
Travellers should ensure they are up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, including six-monthly booster doses for adults aged 75 years and over and annual boosters for adults aged 65 to 74 years, with additional boosters recommended for some individuals with underlying medical conditions.
Routine vaccinations
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Routine immunisations are an important part of travel preparation for Finland. Travellers should confirm that standard vaccines recommended in Australia are up to date before departure. Protection against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella helps reduce the risk of infection when travelling internationally. A travel health consultation can determine whether booster doses are required, particularly for adults who may not have received routine vaccinations in many years. Additional vaccinations such as hepatitis B may be recommended depending on individual risk factors and itinerary.
Finland
Other health risks in Finland
Gastroenteritis
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Gastroenteritis, sometimes called travellers’ diarrhoea, can occur in Finland despite excellent food and water safety standards. Bacterial gastroenteritis can be caused by contaminated food and viral gastroenteritis can spread easily in crowded environments including restaurants, cruise ships, hotels, and tourist venues.
Symptoms often include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and occasionally fever, typically appearing within one to three days of exposure. Adequate hydration is the most important aspect of treatment, featuring oral rehydration solutions to replace fluids and electrolytes. Most cases are mild and resolve within several days, however medical advice should be sought if symptoms are severe, persistent, or associated with dehydration.
Lyme disease
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Lyme disease can be transmitted in Finland by the bite of infected Ixodes ticks in grassy or forested locations, particularly in warmer months when ticks are most active. Early symptoms may include fever, fatigue, headache, and an expanding circular rash in some cases. If untreated, lyme disease can affect the joints, nervous system, and heart. Reduce risk by preventing tick bites, which involves insect repellent, protective clothing, and regular tick checks after outdoor activities. Early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment are highly effective.
Non-infectious conditions
Crime and unrest
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Although Finland has low rates of violent crime, pickpocketing and petty theft can occasionally occur in busy areas, particularly in central Helsinki and popular tourist locations. Travellers should remain vigilant and exercise caution when in crowded areas.
Refer to the Australian Government’s website Smartraveller website for the most up-to-date advice before and during travel.
Deep vein thrombosis
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Long-haul flights from Australia to Finland are associated with reduced movement of the legs, slowing blood circulation, and increasing the likelihood of clot formation in the deep veins, which is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Travellers can reduce their risk by standing and walking regularly during long flights, performing leg exercises while seated, and staying well hydrated. Individuals with additional risk factors, such as previous clotting disorders, pregnancy, recent surgery, or certain medical conditions, should seek personalised advice from a travel doctor before travelling and may be advised to wear below-knee compression stockings.