With the arrival of autumn, a lot of things happen. School starts, the temperature drops, the days shorten, the wardrobe changes to warmer clothes… And the most dangerous thing is: the greater spread of infectious diseases, especially seasonal respiratory viruses with higher reproduction rates. They are faster at low temperatures and can Better to survive. That’s why vaccination campaigns are launched at this time of year against influenza, the most feared of these diseases, joined by coronavirus since the Covid-19 pandemic. Next week, the war against these two men will begin. A war last year resulted in 720,492 people being vaccinated, accounting for 30.31% of the community’s population. The rate is slightly lower in Segovia, at 28.96% after 44,546 people had been vaccinated.
On October 3, a vaccination campaign against these viruses will begin in Castile and León, targeting people in institutions (that is, people living in residential and other centers), and on October 10 The vaccination campaign will be conducted for the following groups: Recommended. For the 2023-2024 vaccination campaign, the Ministry of Health has purchased 805,500 doses of influenza vaccine, of which approximately 54,000 doses will be used in Segovia. Total expenditure was €10,527,058, which included a new intranasal vaccine for children aged 24 to 59 months.
Regarding the flu, the campaign will target those who are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu, as well as those who may be at higher risk of transmitting the flu to other complications. At the same time, the aim of Covid-19 vaccination is to increase the protection of the most vulnerable people and health and social care workers, in order to reduce mortality and the impact of the disease on care capacity.
Recommended groups
Although vaccination is not compulsory for the general population, the committee does recommend vaccination for different groups, starting with those aged 60 or older and those in centers for the disabled and nursing homes with more than five inmates, among other groups. Long-term residence in a closed institution. The final group will begin receiving vaccinations on the third day.
On the other hand, for people under 60 years of age, it is recommended for people with diabetes, chronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory diseases, asthma, anemia, hemophilia, HIV, cancer and hematological malignancies and diseases that cause Vaccinations: Cognitive disorders such as Down syndrome, dementia, etc. Also included are cohabitants of these groups, pregnant women, healthcare and essential public service workers (police and firefighters, etc.).
The novelty of this year’s immunization calendar in Castile and León is the population of children aged 6 to 59 months. Children between 6 and 23 months will receive the vaccine via intramuscular injection, while children between 24 and 59 months will receive the vaccine intranasally (good news for those who are afraid of needles). Likewise, the committee recommends vaccination for staff at education centres, persons at higher risk of complications from influenza (including smokers), interns at health centres, and workers on or working on farms, poultry, pig or mink farms. Contact with wildlife.
Vaccines and administration
There are five types of influenza vaccines available in Castile and Leon (see first table), which are given weekly at different vaccination points: The quadrivalent inactivated vaccine “Vaxigrip” is preferably suitable for 6 to 23 months Large healthy population aged 60 and 64 years and high-risk groups; Quadrivalent inactivated vaccine “Fluad tetra” with adjuvant for the non-institutionalized general population aged 65 years or older; Quadrivalent vaccine with high antigen load “Efluelda” Inactivated unit, suitable for hospitalized population over 60 years of age and a large number of dependents at home; Quadrivalent inactivated vaccine “Flucelvax tetra”, suitable for people allergic to antibiotics; Quadrivalent attenuated vaccine “Fluenz tetra”, intranasal injection, The target population is children aged 24 to 59 months.
Vaccines against Covid-19, on the other hand, are monovalent against subvariants of the omicron strain, one of the most dangerous. The goal is to gain protection against circulating strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. Until the last week of October, Castile and Leon will receive slightly more than 400,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from the Ministry of Health (27,000 for Segovia) on a weekly basis. So far, approximately 26,000 doses of vaccine have arrived at regional health services, including nearly 400 in our province.
Regarding the administration of the vaccine, people living in residential buildings will receive two doses of the vaccine from health professionals in each health district of Castile and León, who will go to the centers. Their presence will also be used to vaccinate the professionals working there. Health and social hygiene staff, on the other hand, will be able to receive vaccinations in the workplace by referring to occupational health services. For the remaining people over 60 years old and under 60 years old with risk factors, each health district will determine where vaccinations are available and how to make appointments. You can request an appointment a few days before October 10 through the Sacyl Conecta app, the phone number of your health center and the Castile and Leon Health Portal.
Bronchiolitis
Another novelty in the immunization calendar of Castilla and León is the inclusion of the new drug “Nirsevimab”, which provides immunity against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an infection that causes bronchiolitis . In Castile and León, a single dose of Niservimab will be given to all children born between March 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, during the 2023-2024 campaign.
Depending on the date of birth, the vaccination will be given in a hospital or health center: those born on or after October 1 will receive the monoclonal antibody at birth in the hospital, while those born between March and September will receive the monoclonal antibody at birth. At the hospital. At the beginning of the RSV season, in October, there will be a specific campaign to administer the vaccine at the usual health centers or vaccination centres.
In addition, Nirsevimab will be used in infant populations at high risk for severe RSV disease, including premature infants less than 35 weeks of age (single dose before 12 months of age), patients with congenital heart disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or severe immunosuppression. In the latter three cases, “Nirsevimab” will be injected before each RSV season, before 24 months of age, at the time of immunization.
A total of 13,000 doses of vaccine were purchased for this immunization, 950 of which were purchased in Segovia (see table) at a cost of 2,825,680 euros.