Sevillans responded well to the first day of vaccinations without appointments and in all health centers against influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Sources from the health administration confirmed to this media that the dripping phenomenon continued in the morning at most locations where dripping was enabled. Among them, Pinomontano A Health Center stands out because, in the words of a professional, it “doesn’t stop in the morning.”
The initiative, promoted by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs to strengthen the prevention of severe respiratory infections, started on Monday and will remain active every day until the vaccination campaign is completed. It targets target groups including people over 60 years old, people with chronic diseases, health and social care workers, pregnant women, security forces and corps, high-risk groups and smokers. In addition, the importance of childhood influenza vaccination for children aged 6 to 59 months and RSV vaccination for children born between April and September 2023 and for newborns between October last year and the end of the campaign was emphasized.
However, as of last Friday, a total of 387,014 people in Seville had been vaccinated against influenza and 269,074 against Covid-19 since October 2023. Experts consulted stressed that vaccines are the “main weapon” in avoiding admission to hospital wards or intensive care units due to respiratory infections. The latest official data from the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) show that in the first three days of last week alone, hospital emergency departments received nearly 8,000 emergency cases, of which 700 were admitted to hospital.
Even so, as advisor Catalina García pointed out when announcing the measure, we still have “two to three weeks to reach the peak of the respiratory virus in people over 60 , people with chronic medical conditions or pregnant women should get the flu and Covid-19 vaccines, as well as children aged 6 to 59 months, to avoid severe illness and hospitalization. He said: “It is important to note that due to the spread of viruses Strains are different and vaccines change every year, so every fall they have to update this protection against respiratory viruses. “
Other health and social groups have joined the call to avoid the healthcare system being overwhelmed by increased demand for care, which is “preventable”, say experts consulted on Simple Puncture. The Popular Party of Seville also joined in, encouraging targeted groups on Monday to go to any health center to get vaccinated without an appointment.
Gloria Guillén, Deputy Minister of Education, Health and Sports, publicly stated: “Herd immunity is the best mechanism to avoid infection and especially to avoid severe disease in the population.” She insisted that “the vaccine changes everyone’s health.” Due to the different strains circulating, it is very important for designated groups to be vaccinated as this is the best way to prevent and protect against respiratory viruses and to a large extent avoid possible complications when infected with both influenza and coronavirus. “