Vaccination sites receive twice as many travelers as in 2022

this Coronavirus It is no longer an international health emergency (Although the new crown virus is still with us) After more than three years of restrictions, this summer finally ushered inFurthermore, a return to normality has largely. Flights, hotels, vacation package bookings, foot traffic… all the indicators of people going out again, traveling, that’s pretty much evidence of that.still have quantity Valencians who decide to go abroad for vaccinationEspecially to some exotic destinations.

Only in the 17 international vaccination sites owned by the Valencia Hospital (not counting the 3 of the Ministry of Health, which have a high volume of appointments), The number of people has almost doubled compared to last year.If 3,753 Valencians were vaccinated from January to July 2022, the same day this year There have been 6,911 people and the season isn’t over yet.

This promise of rebirth, to see the world of the Valencians, produces the first logical result: Vaccination services are once again limited. “All services They are still full and offer month or month and a half appointments“, point John Francis NavarroChief of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Elks General University Hospital (the service on which these vaccination sites depend) and President of the Valencian Society of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (Svmpsp).

Appointment time is complicated But it has been like this since before summer.According to the verification of this newspaper, in early June, the vaccination site set up by the Ministry of Health in the Port of Valencia Time is sold out until the end of August In the 17 sites (among many hospitals) where the Valencian health system collaborates, delays are also “one to two months”, depending on which hospital is called.

Getting ready for a vaccine to work

This is a problem because immune need some time. “Any vaccine won’t be effective until at least two weeks after it’s given,” Navarro noted. So it’s important to plan aid for those resources, which experts say aren’t “common.” “I would say that a smaller percentage of people who come are planning to travel “They arrived well in advance,” he noted. Of course, “emergency arrival” is not considered such a service, because maybe they managed to make it to the itinerary at the last minute. In order not to leave anyone unattended, sacrifices are always offeredwhenever there is a gap to make sure the person doesn’t leave without being vaccinated,” he said.

To do good, Arriving at the last minute or booking a few days before your flight is not worth it. The more exotic the destination, the more vaccinations are recommended, some two doses These measures must have a period of time between their administration, or are not expected to take effect until a minimum period of two weeks has passed. Vaccinations are only mandatory when traveling to certain countries (e.g. yellow fever when traveling to countries like Congo or Côte d’Ivoire), but for destinations as common as Thailand, vaccination “recommendations” are mutually followed.

So those who haven’t been vaccinated should get vaccinated against hepatitis A, also get vaccinated against typhoid, which has been linked to “poor sanitation” in food preparation, and keep their tetanus cards up to date.Also, depending on where you are going or depending on what you are going to do in Thailand, experts will adviseThey may also recommend getting the hepatitis B vaccine or preventing malaria. All of these agreements take time.

Need more resources to achieve everything

A surge in workload this summer is to be expected, but according to the president of the Valencian Society of Preventive Medicine, john navarrointernational travel”It’s no longer just a weird thing that a few people do, it’s integrated into our everyday life“Therefore, he claimed there were more ways to take on the increasing workload,” and to maintain that workload throughout the year and not be compensated by the ministry. “If this continues like this, everything points to yes, Tropicalization of all destinations will increase the threat of infectious diseases, You have to get things done,” insisted Navarro, who complained about the lack of resources and compensation to deliver his services.

Today, Valencians have 20 different vaccination points before departure: the Ministry of Health has three vaccination points in Castro, Valencia and Alicante, as well as the Ministry of Health in numerous public hospitals. 17 vaccination sites. The network has just grown since this summer, Requena and Torrevieja. “More should be added. Ideally, health departments for all patients should have such resources,” said public health expert Juan Navarro.