This vaccine targets influenza The course is offered for the first time in a school in the Murcia region After the Ministry of Health’s pilot experience last year. The department led by Juan José Pedreño aims to vaccinate against influenza the first and second grades of pre-kindergarten students in educational centers (those aged 3 and 4) by the end of September.
There are currently More than 27,500 children People who were enrolled in schools and born between 2019 and 2020 are the people targeted by the new school vaccination campaign starting in the coming weeks. According to data provided by the Ministry of Education, there are 13,240 students in the first grade of kindergarten (age 3) and 14,333 students in the second grade (age 4) in school this year.
The Ministries of Health and Education have been running human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal ACWY vaccination campaigns in schools for students aged 11 and over for several years, so they want to Further strengthen the protection of children Beginning this year, schools will offer flu vaccinations in first grade kindergarten.
Pediatricians received 58,600 consultations for influenza
Murcia last season one of the earliest communities Spain joins Andalucia and Galicia in introducing in the campaign Flu vaccination for children aged 6 to 59 months, because this is the recommendation approved by the national public health committee in October 2022. However, apart from pilot experiences in a few schools, this vaccination is carried out in health centers and primary care offices.
Apart from this, the Murcia region is the only one to start using this technology. intranasal attenuated vaccine Suitable for minors aged 2 to 4 years old.
Center training
for Inform healthcare professional As flu vaccinations for 3- and 4-year-olds will be carried out in schools this year, the Ministry of Health last week began a round of video conferences with those responsible for attending pediatric consultations in nursing primary schools.In these courses, the protocols that will be initiated and through which Immunization for those born in 2019 and 2020 will begin at the end of Septemberhe will receive the new intranasal vaccine that has been used in health centers last year.
Alongside the vaccination campaign Meningitis and human papillomavirus (HPV) Boys and girls in sixth grade.
they recognize from public health departments Influenza is an infection that seriously affects children under 5 years old. Therefore, last year it was decided to include children in the vaccination drive.
Health replicates vaccination in Murcia
In the first experience, the regional health authority of Murcia set a target of 50% coverage of the population aged 2 to 4 years old, but the actual figure was lower, just over 45.2%.So the idea came up to extend it to schools becauseIt turns out that immunization rates are much higher in schools than in health centres.
To be precise, one and a half months after the start of the 2022-2023 influenza vaccination campaign, the health department launched a school influenza vaccination pilot for children in the first and second grades of kindergarten in 24 education centers across the region, and achieved good results. The coverage rate exceeds 58%, which is 13 percentage points higher than that of health centers.
Health professionals stress that achieving these coverages «Not only the intervention of health workers is needed, but also that of teaching institutions Information about the school where you were vaccinated” as they open the doors of their centers and collaborate to send and receive vaccination authorization requests to parents.
The incidence rate is higher in children under 5 years old
In the region of Murcia, minors are not vaccinated against influenza (Unless they belong to the risk group due to some pathological reasons) until last yearwhen the Murcia Ministry of Health took steps to include children between 6 and 59 months old in the campaign, following the standards and recommendations of the Public Health Council.
This decision is supported by data, as over the past seven seasons pre-pandemic, Children under 5 years old are the group with the highest cumulative incidence of influenza Diagnosed and treated in primary care.
This is reflected in the “Protocol for the Seasonal Management of Influenza Vaccine in Educational Centers” established in August this year by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, which La Opinión has consulted.The document refers to communities registering high infection rates, suggesting they have taken part in an average of seven seasons 58,640 primary care consultations, 4,239 hospitalizationsAmong them, 822 are in serious condition and 249 are in ICU, all of whom are children under 5 years old.
These numbers are even Higher than the 65+ age groupIncluding vaccinations, there were 37,411 primary care visits and 20,129 hospitalizations, including 4,382 severe cases and 814 intensive care unit visits.
Regarding mortality, the average mortality rate for the under-5 group over the past seven seasons was There are 8 deaths per season.
Why should children under 5 years be vaccinated?
Influenza can be a major health problem in children under 5 years of age because it leads to a large number of primary care consultations and hospitalizations, some of which are serious. In addition, it is estimated that in recent years, the average annual death toll from influenza is three times that from meningococcal B disease.
Who should get the flu vaccine?
Flu vaccination is recommended for all children aged 6 to 59 months. Intranasal vaccines will be administered in schools.
Which children should not receive intranasal vaccines?
Intranasal vaccines are contraindicated in children with any of the following conditions: Severe allergy to eggs or their proteins (anaphylaxis); Severe deficiencies in the immune system, congenital or resulting from treatment; Long-term use of salicylate therapy (oral or cream ); and those who have asthma symptoms within 3 days before vaccination.
What are the risks of this vaccine?
The intranasal attenuated influenza vaccine is a very safe vaccine that has been used in other countries for many years. Many countries have experience using it in school activities.
Why should vaccinations be given in schools?
Accessibility is one of the key points of any vaccination programme, and it is not always easy to vaccinate children at a health center or regular vaccination site in the morning.
Where can I get more information?
At your health center, the usual vaccination station or the vaccination program telephone numbers: 968 362249 – 968 366881, and email: vaccines@carm.es.