The Ministry of Health recently released three reference documents Immunization Recommendations for the 2023-2024 Season. One deals with recommendations for a flu shot next fall and a COVID-19 vaccine; the second deals with accelerated guidance for rescue vaccinations, the so-called “accelerated timeline”; , from AstraZeneca).
Uses of Nirelizumab
s arrival RSV monoclonal antibody, nirsevimabfor national vaccination programs, means the before and after of preventing the virus, and the serious consequences of hospitalization and death it can cause.
Given the lack of a vaccine during pregnancy or in the first few months of life, the imminent availability of nirelizumab, with its extended half-life, makes A single dose of RSV administered each seasonopening up the possibility of using this new drug in a larger proportion of the pediatric population.
Thus, health advice Three Immunization Strategies Against RSV:
- Dosing in children at high risk of serious illness from RSV.
- Administer to children younger than 6 months at the beginning or during the RSV season.
- Administer populations younger than 12 months at the start of or during RSV season.
Both the first and second strategies have the following advantages: Lower Costs and Better Dosing Results of a single dose of nirsevimab in an age group compared with the current regimen of five doses of palivizumab. However, both strategies represent missed opportunities to immunize patients without high-risk conditions (strategy 1) or infants older than 6 months (strategy 2). In addition, the second strategy, as it varies throughout the year, can lead to errors in active and inactive periods of activity, vaccinating babies who should not be vaccinated, and vice versa.
According to the ministry, a third strategy will require increase vaccination ratessince generic policies typically have ” easier to implement and better compliance with the measure”. Another possible benefit of it is the prevention of cases outside of seasonal RSV epidemics if immunization is given at birth. Conversely, its disadvantages include higher economic costs and larger workload, as the entire population must be immunized, or additional drug administration sites may be required for portions of the population to be immunized.
In that sense, the health department noted, RSV immunization can be done in primary care, in hospitals, or both. “Regardless of the choice, during the VRS season Nirsevimab should be given as soon as possible after birthbecause the disease is more severe at a young age,” the ministerial paper concluded.
Flu and COVID-19 Vaccinations
The document, together with the recommendations in the Vaccine Report for the 2023-2024 season influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations in Spain, was approved by the Public Health Commission on 12 July. Influenza vaccination to be administered concurrently with COVID-19 vaccination since 2021-2022 season Considering the current epidemiological situation of COVID-19, it is recommended that the target population be vaccinated in autumn and winter (2023-2024).
its target group Flu Vaccination and COVID-19 yes:
- Child population 6-59 months.
- People aged 60 or over. This is a novelty because they have been over 64 before, although some communities have lowered the threshold to 60 on their own.
- Children under 5 years of age, youth and adults under 59 years of age: Prisoners living in residential or institutional settings (elderly, disabled, prisons, etc.) or prisoners in at-risk conditions (also children and youth aged 5-18). age at long-term treatment with acetylsalicylic acid).
- Pregnant and postpartum women in any trimester of pregnancy (within 6 months postpartum and not vaccinated during pregnancy).
- People living with highly immunosuppressed patients (hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, solid organ transplant recipients, chronic renal failure, HIV-infected individuals with low CD4 counts, certain primary immunodeficiencies) and those receiving certain immunologic People who suppress treatment. Cohabitants of people with other high-risk and geriatric conditions may also be included.
- smoker.
- Persons who have direct occupational contact with animals or their secretions on farm or poultry farms, pig or mink farms or wild animals.
“Acceleration Timetable”
Finally, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the so-called “accelerated timetable”, that is, the vaccines that should be given to people of different ages who have not received the recommended vaccines and have the correct guidelines documented in their vaccination history.
That’s what happened to those people People from countries with different vaccination schedules, people with an incomplete vaccination history, or people who have not received any doses of vaccines (or no documented evidence of having been vaccinated), as mentioned in the document by the health department.
in the case of immigrant crowd, Those “who are at a similar risk of infectious disease as Aboriginal people, although they may be more vulnerable,” must ensure the same level of protection as Aboriginal people against infectious diseases in general and in particular. It can be prevented by vaccination.
However, the Department of Health believes that For displaced persons and refugees, specific operational strategies may be necessary Ensure the protection of children and the adult population, prevent outbreaks in overcrowded situations, and ensure the continuation of childhood vaccination programs.you must also Ensure staff caring for these individuals are properly vaccinated Ensure their protection and avoid spread from one country to another, according to established recommendations.
Therefore, when immunizing populations without nationally recommended vaccines, it is necessary to Assess vaccination status Based on the documentation they have and the presence of risk factors (immunosuppression, certain chronic diseases, etc.) that may modify the indications for certain vaccines.In this way, a A personalized calendar, including the number of doses needed according to age and gender. For this purpose, the start time and the interval between the administered doses will be determined.