Record vaccination campaign includes 200,000 healthy children

Health authorities prepare for largest flu vaccination campaign to reach 200,000 “healthy” childrenJim R. Bonds

The Ministry of Health faces this autumn and winter Largest vaccination campaign The flu vaccines they have prepared so far, because this will be the first, they will also Recommended to protect all healthy children aged 6 to 59 months from viral infectionAccording to INE, there are approximately 200,000 Valencians. They are also a dangerous group.

Flu vaccinations will begin the week of October 16

The decision was taken last October, assuming Recommendations that the World Health Organization has made for several seasons (WHO). In the winter of 2022-2023, the communities of Galicia and Murcia “they came forward”, but in the rest of Spain this winter will be the first in principle not to suffer from dangerous conditions (celiac disease, for example), for example, it Yes) are required to undergo piercing starting from October 16th. In order to reach everyone, the Ministry of Health had to purchase more doses than planned.he Last year, 1,285,000 bottles were acquired This year, according to the contracts that have not yet been concluded, it will reachr 1,340,000 doses administeredalthough there may be 12,000 more.

Penetration or inhalation, by age

For children only, 125,000 doses will be purchased, but There will be two types: 65,000 jab vaccines will be put into youngest (6 to 24 months old) Those who have a disease or are at risk Another 60,000 come in another form: inhaled And they don’t need to be punctured, instead they work by threading them through the nose. These will be given to healthy children aged 24 to 59 months Because such products are sold for children over the age of two.

Children’s flu vaccine will be inhaled rather than injected

The former government team of the Botanic Gardens decided in the spring to purchase a punctured inhaled vaccine at the request of the four pediatric scientific associations of the Valencian Community. motivation?The start of the vaccination campaign (usually in October) coincides with the worst time for pediatric consultations, soand looking for a “faster” way Protect children as soon as possible, because the influenza virus usually delays in the Valencian community until December, January or even February, but There may also be a wave before Novemberjust like what happened last year.

The ministry hopes that at least half of Valencia’s children under five will be protected.

Furthermore, it is Less painful and easier to convince children receive it.Pediatricians claim another advantage: When injected through the nose, the vaccine produces systemic immunity Such as puncture, but also the mucous membrane of the nose, so if a vaccinated child becomes infected,In addition to preventing serious illness, it can act as a “barrier” Because it is not contagious.

Covers 50% of children

These are just predictions, but the response among families to the first flu vaccination campaign targeting children remains unknown.The only approximation we have today is The level of coverage achieved by autonomous regions that have progressed. In Murcia and Galicia, about “40 to 45%” of children are vaccinated.Well, the goal here is at least This equates to 50% of children being vaccinated. The number of inhaled vaccines purchased (60,000 to 72,000) corresponds to half of the children aged 24 to 59 months required to be vaccinated.

Health authorities prepare to vaccinate 200,000 Valencian children against influenza

Why are they risky?

Vaccine experts realize appeals to parents may remain “Caffeine-free” because so little is known about the severity of the flu This phenomenon in the child population and the more mundane impact it has on the daily life of the family: many respiratory processes that keep children at home for several days and force parents to visit the doctor several times and lose time from work are caused by : Influenza, but in many cases the virus has not yet been identified.

Last year’s approval to include healthy children in the vaccine showcase recalled that despite the risk of influenza Mortality rate for children under 15 years old ‘lowest’ (an estimated 5 children under 5 die from influenza each year), it does cause ” High numbers of visits to primary care facilitiesantibiotic use and hospitalization” and should therefore also be considered a risk group.

Galicia was one of the communities that vaccinated children against influenza last year.

For example, a child under 15 years old is Primary care consultations for mild symptoms dominate, but children under 5 are the largest group admitted to hospital The elderly are second only to the elderly in terms of admissions to intensive care units due to influenza. According to the report, Spain estimates “nearly 50,000 confirmed cases of influenza in primary schools, 4,000 hospitalizations, 800 severe cases, 250 ICU admissions in children under 5 years of age, and 8 in-hospital deaths every year.” Seven out of 10 children admitted to hospital with influenza are “well children”.

In addition, protecting children It also helps reduce influenza in other groups.As well as the elderly, because the most infected are children and often grandparents.

to mid-October

Therefore, the 2023-2024 campaign is about to begin. Minister Marciano Gómez confirmed on October 16 that it would do so.