Taking Ceuta as an example, the event is scheduled to start in the last week of October, specifically on the 23rd as decided by the health department, before the weather characteristics of the city do not recommend the start of the event. In fact, we are still facing high temperatures, with temperatures in July and August being more typical than October.
This will be the third year that flu serum has been given alongside Covid 19. This is the fifth dose against the coronavirus. In addition, one of the new features this year is the inclusion of workers in health institutions such as pharmacies as the target group. Likewise, the government aims to achieve vaccination coverage of 75% or above for the elderly, health and social care workers; and 60% for pregnant women and people with risk conditions. Depending on how each community is organized, the vaccine they will receive will “best” be one adapted to the new variant. The modified Pfizer serum is the only one approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
On the other hand, this season’s schedule includes vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the virus that causes bronchiolitis, for infants younger than 35 weeks, with severe immunosuppression, Down syndrome, or those receiving palliative care. ; Up to six months.
The Public Health Commission has decided to use Beyfortus (nirsevimab), which is being developed by pharmaceutical company Sanofi and AstraZeneca. Most areas will immunize the entire population under six months of age. Currently, Galicia (about 3 million euros), Murcia (5.7 million), Andalusia (nearly 16 million), Madrid (10.8 million), Asturias (over 1 million euros) and Es Tremadura (1.2 million) has received incentives to purchase vaccines. However, according to the criteria set out in July, the Director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health and Communities said that taking into account “the uncertainty of the supply of medicines in Spain”, vaccination must start in children up to 24 months old with a high risk of serious disease. It is then passed to children under six months of age at the beginning of RSV season or during RSV season. Additionally, people born during this season must be given priority, and they must receive treatment “very early, preferably within the first 24-48 hours of life” as the disease is more common in the first few days of life. For serious.
high priority
Nursing homes and other care centers for people with disabilities or dependents are prioritized for immunizations. Behind them is the population aged 80 and over, given the “strategic importance played by health and social care staff”.
The aim is to achieve or exceed 75% COVID-19 and influenza vaccination coverage among older people and health (partner) personnel. According to World Health Organization guidelines, more than 60% of patients in pregnant women and high-risk groups will also be considered successful.
How people who are not suitable for vaccination are vaccinated is determined by each community in each campaign. For the vast majority of people, exposure to the virus in the past three years, combined with the effects of previous doses, provides sufficient immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Something similar happens with influenza viruses.
Vaccination campaign – COVID-19, updated “recipe”
The vaccines administered so far are formulated to resemble omicron variants of the protein, either the BA.1 version (typically spring 2022) or BA.5 (circulation in summer and fall 2022).
Depending on the organization of each community, the “best” vaccines to be administered from the last week of September and October are those adapted to the new variants. In Europe, as of this week, only an updated version of Pfizer’s drug called Comirnaty Ómicron XBB.1.5 (“Kraken”) has received support from the European Medicines Agency and the European Commission. There are other drug candidates: the latest generation, Moderna and Novavax, which were authorized in the U.S. on Monday, unlike the first two, is not messenger RNA. The design of Spain’s Hipra vaccine is based on proteins from previous variants of Omicron. However, this vaccine and most “not the latest” vaccines induce a broad antibody response against emerging variants, not to prevent contagion but to prevent severe disease.