“I get vaccinated for prevention and responsibility”

Prevention and Responsibility. Those were the two most repeated words among the first batch of flu vaccines administered yesterday afternoon at the Bombada Health Center. Immunization started at 3:00 PM and lasted two hours, with the flow rate remaining constant during the first few minutes. Progress is slow but sure as appointments are staggered. But the agenda is full. Appointments opened on Friday, with 60 patients a day, five days a week, “and they were all full this morning”that’s why they are also opening next week,” said María Jesús Morales Gregorio, care coordinator of Bombarda, a situation that has been repeated in other health centers that also carry out vaccinations in the afternoon (Actur Oeste, Valdespartera, Fuentes Norte), Sao Paulo Gasta and Bombada).

“I work in front of the public, and a lot of people are wearing masks,” admitted a young woman first in line, who did not want to give her name because she was in a hurry because “I had to go to work.” There weren’t many cases around him, but there were at work, and “I didn’t want to catch her,” he said.

The second person to enter the vaccination room was 56-year-old Alberto Rodríguez, who clearly did not want to get sick. He had not been vaccinated before because the vaccine is only for high-risk groups. In fact, he had not been vaccinated at any of the previous events, but his family was vaccinated this time. “I vaccinate myself and them,” he insisted.IVaccination, he explained, would allow “health centers to be less saturated.” Miguel Ángel also chose to be vaccinated on the first day, while 58-year-old María Pilar is also a regular recipient of the vaccine. “My family had the flu and they were having a really bad time,” he explained, later noting that the vaccine is both a positive for “preventing” severe symptoms and “liability,” as it prevents infection, as Same as wearing a mask or washing your hands.

Vaccinations opened to the general population on Monday, as shots have been made available to high-risk groups and children. There are 5 medical centers in Zaragoza where vaccinations are scheduled in the afternoon between 3:00 and 5:00 pm: in these cases, appointments can also be made through Salud Informa.

Despite Bombada’s comprehensive agenda, Morales assured that vaccination rates are “similar” to previous years, although he noted that this year’s vaccination rates may be lower because “the campaign starts with very strict age groups.” “At first, it stopped people from making appointments.” At first, “we spent two weeks scheduling times where we had no patients,” but over time those times were filled, he recalled. He said the absence of an open agenda from minute zero had led to the campaign “going on until these dates, when we should no longer be vaccinating”. He thinks staggering is “good”, but the elderly have greater difficulty making appointments and need help.

‘We should have foreseen’

The increased citations now may be because “people get scared when we talk about waves, it’s the same every year, that’s it.” That is why he emphasized that “the fear motivation is short-term and fast, which makes those who are hesitant to get vaccinated” because it is “instructed” depending on age and risk group, and the rest is “voluntary.” » .

Morales explained that flu cases are also the same as in other years because “they coincide with this time and the drop in temperatures.” The same happens with the incidence rates, which are “similar”, although this saturation in health centers is because “it is a critical season because of the holidays and health workers are also sick” and “staffing is very tight” “. He said that while winter was still far away, “the flu was already here,” so it was clear “we could have anticipated it a little bit.”

Asked whether Aragonese who decided to do so could also receive the coronavirus vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccine, she said emphatically: “No” because “the instructions are that the flu vaccine is only open to the general population.” As for the coronavirus , there will continue to be “age and serious disease restrictions.” In these cases, the agenda is open, but only to those at risk, and only in the morning.