this Military Government of Andalusia The vaccination campaign against influenza and Covid-19 begins this Monday and takes the opportunity to Calls on Andalusians to recover and surpass the record set last yearensuring that the largest population is immunized and that these viruses do not impact the level of care.
Health and Consumer Affairs Minister Catalina García said this on Monday after being asked by reporters at the opening of the first Provincial Conference on Suicidal Behavior in Málaga: Prevention ‘vital to us’.
Today, at the first provincial suicidal behavior prevention conference #malaga Its motto is “United Action, Hopeful”. The role of provincial task forces in suicide prevention is critical. pic.twitter.com/F45QUVkhfp
— Catalina Garcia (@LinaGarcia_AND) October 9, 2023
Garcia explained that at this event 2.2 million doses, a 7.5% increase on last year, vaccinations will begin on Monday for staff in nursing homes and disability centres; the general population aged 85 or over; and staff in health and social care centres, residential and disability centres. In addition, children 6 to 59 months old (inclusive) who attend a calendar vaccine appointment will receive the flu vaccine.
“I hope and ask that Andalusians, who last year had a vaccination rate of 70% and a record high proportion of people over 65 years old, can recover and overcome this.” The United Nations recommends a figure of 75%. The consultant assessed that pregnant women “are the best group to be vaccinated, reaching 81% of last year’s recommended 60%”; while health professionals “are the ones at the lowest level”, which is why he asked them to “work hard” to improve this ratio. For children, for the first time in 2022, their vaccination rate reached 46%, which he said was “astonishing”.
He also recalled that this year the starting age for influenza vaccination for adults has been lowered from 65 to 60 years, the same as for Covid-19 vaccination, so they will receive dual vaccination.
When asked if there was some degree of curtailment of COVID-19 vaccinations, she explained that they wanted to have enough of the COVID-19 vaccines so as not to paralyze or delay the vaccination campaign because “when they have to vaccinate, they have no confidence in the vaccination.” Compliance is much higher “of the two.”
On the other hand, regarding the bronchiolitis vaccination that started on September 25, Garcia explained, “We already have 71% of children who have to be vaccinated, so we are satisfied, but we appeal to adults, our children and their ‘s parents”.
COVID-19 incidence rate
Along these lines, the Minister of Health underlined the importance of vaccination against the main variant of the coronavirus currently circulating in Spain (more importantly “Micro”). Additionally, he thanked “health professionals for their renewed efforts in the vaccination campaign.”
In this regard, regarding the incidence of this variant in Andalusia, he noted that it would have had an impact when the number of hospitalizations increased significantly, but this “did not happen because society already had very important immunity immunity, because of course we have a vaccine, but also because of the immunity we gain when we catch the virus. A lot of times we’ve been infected and we barely realize it, or they’re so mild we don’t even realize it. Get tested. We already have the herd immunity we’ve been trying to achieve.”
Garcia then focused on the most vulnerable populations and recommended that people who are elderly, vulnerable or have complex medical conditions continue to use masks as periods come when more respiratory viruses are circulating. “That time will come and it will protect them and it will protect those who are around them,” he added.