Most Finnish members of parliament say that taking the coronavirus vaccine should not be mandatory, and that they expect the vast majority of people to take it voluntarily.
Yle asked all 200 MPs whether taking the coronavirus vaccine should be required for everyone that is physically eligible to get a jab. Of the 141 MPs who responded to the survey, more than 90 percent said that vaccination should be voluntary.
Nearly three-quarters of lawmakers from government parties rejected the idea of compulsory vaccinations, as did more than half of MPs from opposition parties.
Public education key
Most of those who opposed mandatory shots said that vaccine coverage in Finland has been good, based on public information campaigns and free will, and that there is no reason to change this policy due to Covid-19.
Overall, 129 respondents said that getting the jab should be up to each person.
Only eight MPs, or about five percent of respondents, said that vaccinations should be required. There was more willingness to do so among representatives of the Centre Party, with four members of the government party saying that the jab should be obligatory.
Four MPs declined to state an opinion.
On Monday, the National Institute for Health and Welfare of Finland (THL) said 145,557 people had received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, representing about 2.6 percent of the Finnish population.
