Rokottamattomissa

Rokottamattomissa is a Finnish term used in public health and media discourse to refer to the population group that has not received one or more vaccines. The phrase functions as a descriptive label and translates roughly to “among the unvaccinated” or “the unvaccinated” in English, depending on context. It is used to discuss vaccination coverage, outbreak risk, and public health interventions.

Linguistically, the word is formed from the verb rokottaa, meaning “to vaccinate,” and the suffix -mattomissa, which marks a state or condition and conveys “in the state of being unvaccinated” or “among the unvaccinated.” This construction is typical in Finnish for expressing population groups by health status.

Context and usage typically appear in Finnish public health reporting, research, and journalism when describing risk groups or analyzing transmission dynamics. The term is descriptive and functional, helping to convey levels of vaccine uptake and potential epidemiological implications. However, it can be controversial in some discussions, as labeling individuals as rokottamattomissa may be perceived as stigmatizing. As a result, journalists and researchers sometimes use neutral alternatives such as “unvaccinated individuals” or “groups with low vaccination coverage.”

See also: Vaccination in Finland; Vaccine hesitancy; Public health communication; Outbreaks.