Andalusia plans to start a combined influenza and Covid-19 vaccination campaign around October 16, but a specific date has not yet been determined pending the arrival of a “memorial vaccine” for the coronavirus. This was detailed on Monday by the Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, Catalina García, who explained that “separate” vaccinations against the two diseases are not being carried out “because the regulations are not followed” .
“The elderly will only receive one vaccine, but they will not receive two vaccines, so we still don’t have a firm date,” he said. In this sense, he recalled that along with the flu vaccine, there will also be ” The elderly and vulnerable, as well as health professionals” receive booster doses of COVID-19.
In this sense, he said it would start “around October 16th”, adding that this date “has not yet been determined” as he is awaiting the arrival of these coronavirus memorial doses and “they have sent them Ministry of Health.
“They are already vaccines adapted to the new variant. We have said in advance that Andalucia will not receive vaccines that are not adapted to the new variant because it does not make sense. But Europe has indeed made purchases adapted to AXBB.1 but we currently only have One supplier, and that’s Pfizer,” he commented.
Garcia added that “at the European level, the Moderna vaccine has already been authorized” and hoped that “at the European level, the vaccine will also be purchased from Moderna” because if there are two suppliers, the vaccine will reach us in one go. More fluid will allow us to administer the flu combination vaccine.
“So we don’t have a date yet, but it will be around that week, waiting to know how many vaccines the Ministry of Health will finally bring us so as not to have to stop vaccinations. That’s the goal for this year,” he said.
bronchiolitis campaign
Andalusia has launched an immunization campaign against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia. As the Health Minister recalled, the date was September 25.
He declared: “Since last Thursday, parents of children under six months old and children under two years old with serious illnesses have been summoned, starting from October 1, for all children born between October 1 and March 31. of children will be vaccinated.”
The adviser stressed that this was a “very important step forward” in immunization, with more than 63,000 doses administered and $13.8 million invested. He emphasized that “work on vaccines is always an investment” because such vaccines will “prevent severe disease in young children” “for whom there is no drug treatment”.