Parma, October 23 (European Media) –
Health Minister Manuela García went to the Escuela Graduada Health Center in Palma on Monday to receive the flu vaccine and encouraged those targeted for the flu vaccine (a total of 724,719 people) to get vaccinated.
García, accompanied by Mallorca’s primary care manager Carlos Raduán, therefore encouraged everyone in the target groups to get vaccinated, including health and social care professionals. The goal for this season is to achieve 60% vaccination coverage, compared with 48% in the Balearic Islands last year, the MP recalled.
A joint vaccination campaign against influenza and Covid-19 started this Monday in health centers in the Balearic Islands, targeting people over 60 years old and those under 60 who are at certain risk.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Health on Monday, the target group for the influenza vaccine is 724,719 people, of whom 475,555 are candidates to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the same time; that is, combined vaccination. You can make an appointment by calling Infosalut Conecta at 971220022.
By island, the target population is 578,740 in Mallorca (380,527 vaccinated); Menorca, 54,669 (37,981 in total); Ibiza and Formentera 91,310 ( A total of 57,047 people). The main goal of the campaign is to achieve high coverage with both vaccines across all risk groups.
The health service has received 119,350 doses in Mallorca, 11,240 in Menorca and 18,290 in Ibiza and Formentera. The campaign started last Monday to vaccinate people living in residential homes, day centers and health professionals.
The Ministry of Health will use a budget of more than €3 million to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine and 266,800 doses of influenza vaccine. Of these, 140,000 doses are adjuvanted influenza vaccines; 4,800 are high-load doses for particularly vulnerable seniors; 22,000 doses of intranasal vaccines for children aged 2 to 4 years and 11 months, and 100,000 doses of quadrivalent vaccines.
Combined Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination
The campaign is targeted at everyone over 60 and under 60 with any established risk profile. For groups considered at risk, flu and Covid-19 vaccinations will take place simultaneously at the same appointment at the health centre, where they will receive one dose of flu vaccine and one dose of Covid vaccine.
In addition, the department reminded that both vaccines are recommended for people 60 years or older, people 5 years or older in centers and nursing homes for the disabled, and other long-term institutionalized people and residents of closed institutions. .
Also recommended for those under 60 years of age with diabetes, chronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory disease, kidney disease, chronic liver disease (including chronic alcoholism), severe neuromuscular disease, immunosuppression, HIV, cancer, celiac disease, and chronic inflammatory disease wait.
On the other hand, other groups for whom vaccination is recommended are pregnant and postpartum women in any trimester of pregnancy, cohabitants with high immunosuppression, and staff of centers and institutions. Social health.
Finally, vaccination is also recommended for those working in essential public services, especially those working in national security forces and agencies, firefighters and civil protection services.
Influenza vaccination for children and smokers
In addition to previous groups, this season’s flu campaign also recommends, for the first time, universal vaccination for children aged 6 to 59 months. Likewise, it includes smokers as a target group for the first time, as they are at higher risk of complications if they are infected.
On the other hand, these indications include the recommendation to vaccinate against influenza for people between 5 and 59 years of age who are at greater risk of complications from influenza, students working in internships at health and social care centers and people with direct occupational exposure. to animals.
vaccine coverage
According to the Ministry of Health, the goal for this season is to achieve 60% vaccine coverage in the Balearic Islands.
Vaccination coverage in 2022/23 remains at 48%, well below the level of the previous 2021/22 season, when nearly 59% of the Balearic Islands’ population had been vaccinated against influenza.
Looking at the islands, Menorca reached 43.6% in the last season, Pitiusa remained at 44%, while Mallorca reached 48%, nearly ten percentage points lower than the national average.