he Coronavirus disease and Influenza A They haven’t let up this summer. Both respiratory infections continue to spread, albeit to a lesser extent than during the colder months. Specifically, the variant of the coronavirus currently most diagnosed in Spain is EG.5, called “Eris”, as confirmed a few days ago by Dr. Vicente Martín, member of the board of directors of the Spanish Semergen Association. primary care physicians), in a statement from Servimedia. According to the scientific association, the autonomous communities of Aragon, Logroño and the Balearic Islands are the ones that have received the most consultations for respiratory viruses, although there are no specific data to assess this increase.
October will be the date when the vaccination campaign will start For people who are at higher risk of complications from influenza and COVID-19 and who may be at higher risk of spreading the disease to other complications.This year, as a novelty, people who are recommended to get a flu shot include Children six months to five years old. The organization has been sued for years by the Pediatric Science Society.
The aim of vaccination against Covid-19 is to increase the protection of the most vulnerable populations and health and social health personnel in order to reduce morbidity and mortality from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the impact of the disease on the capacity of health care and social health.
Considering the current epidemiological situation, for the autumn and winter seasons, the health department recommends, Increased risk of complications or serious illness Combined flu and COVID-19 vaccines for people 60 years of age or older and those 5 years of age or older who are hospitalized in nursing homes and disability centers if they have these infections; as well as other long-term institutionalized people and residents of closed institutions.
They will also receive funding under 60 years old Age at risk for: diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome; morbid obesity (BMI ≥40 in adults, ≥35 in adolescents, or ≥3 SD in children); chronic cardiovascular, neurologic, or respiratory disease, including bronchial Pulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis, and asthma; chronic kidney disease and nephrotic syndrome; hemoglobinopathies and anemia or hemophilia, other coagulation disorders, and chronic bleeding disorders, and recipients of blood products and multiple transfusions; asplenia or severe splenic dysfunction; chronic liver disease, including chronic alcoholism; severe neuromuscular disease; immunosuppression (including primary immunodeficiency and immunodeficiency caused by HIV infection or drugs, and in transplant recipients and complement deficiencies); Cancer and hematologic malignancies; Cerebrospinal fluid fistula and cochlear implant or waiting; Celiac disease; Chronic inflammatory diseases; Disorders and diseases leading to cognitive impairment: Down syndrome, dementia, etc.
Likewise, the health department recommends the coronavirus and flu vaccines pregnant Women in any trimester of pregnancy and puerperium (within 6 months postpartum and not vaccinated during pregnancy); and people living with highly immunosuppressed persons (hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, solid organ transplant recipients, Chronic renal failure, HIV-infected patients with low CD4 count)
To reduce impact and ensure maintenance of critical and essential services to the community, vaccination Health and social care staff Public and private (health and non-health, except for students for whom influenza vaccination is only recommended), and those working in essential public services (especially national security forces and agencies with national, regional or local dependencies; firefighters and civil personnel) protection services).
In its advice, the Ministry of Health also clarified who should only get the flu vaccine. In this section, the inclusion of the population of children aged 6-59 months (5 years) is a novelty.also recommend People aged 5 to 59 people who are at higher risk of complications from influenza, such as people between the ages of 5 and 18 who have been on long-term aspirin therapy for possible Reye’s syndrome after influenza, or smokers; students on traineeships at health and social hygiene centres; and Persons with direct occupational contact with animals or secretions from farm or poultry farms, pig or mink farms or wild animals (birds, wild boar or ferrets) such as farmers, veterinarians, farm workers, hunters, ornithologists, conservationists, zoo workers, etc. . The purpose is to reduce the possibility of co-infection with human and poultry or pig viruses, and reduce the possibility of recombination or gene exchange between the two viruses.
available vaccines
In Spain, as of the date of the document issued by the Ministry of Health, the new crown vaccine is already available Community Original/omicron BA.4-5; spike vaccine original/omicron BA.1; original Spikevax/omicron BA.4-5, Viprefting and Bimer vaccine.
On June 6, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued a joint statement recommending that the vaccines for the upcoming 2023-2024 season be monovalent vaccines. A subvariant of the omicron strain, preferably XBB.1.5, to ensure protection against the circulating strain of SARS-CoV-24. These vaccines can be administered as a booster dose or as a primary vaccination. To date, no vaccines meeting these requirements have been licensed, but are expected to be licensed before the start of the 2023-2024 season.