Health authorities don’t expect ‘major complications’ from flu campaign
Valencia, October 16 (European Media) –
The Ministry of Health launched this Monday the 2023-2024 influenza vaccination campaign, which will be carried out simultaneously with the COVID-19 vaccination of vulnerable groups. The novelty this year is that children under the age of five will also receive the influenza vaccine. (6 to 59 months), and the age for seniors is lowered from 65 to 60 years.
Director of Public Health Ruth Usó, during a visit to the Alpha Hill Health Center accompanied by Director of Primary Care Eva Suárez at the start of the campaign, stressed the importance of vaccination for all risk groups as a precautionary measure to ensure that health centers do not collapse due to respiratory infections.
In this regard, he emphasized that taking the progress of Australia’s anti-epidemic activities as an example, this year’s influenza is not expected to cause “major complications.” Therefore, he explained, the health department hopes to immunize more than 1,350,000 people. To this end, more than 2 million doses of vaccine are planned to be administered at 2,683 vaccination sites (417 of which are residential areas).
As always, priority will be given to the elderly and residents of multifunctional centres, people aged over 80, healthcare and social care staff, people aged between 60 and 79 and other high-risk groups. The target is to achieve or exceed 75% vaccination coverage among people over 65 years of age and health and social care workers, and to achieve or exceed 60% vaccination coverage among pregnant women and people with other risk conditions.
96-year-old Josefa was one of the first to receive the vaccine and he did not fail in this vaccination campaign. “I’ve been getting vaccinated every year since the vaccine became available. I encourage everyone to do the same. It’s going well for me,” he noted. She was accompanied by her 73-year-old son Ventura, who has received both vaccines because he is at high risk due to cancer and heart disease. “You have to believe in the vaccines that they will work. Without them, how would we have contracted COVID-19,” he noted.
Mercedes and José Luis, an 87-year-old couple, also went together to get their flu shots and their fifth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. “It was like they didn’t stab me, I didn’t have any reaction,” Jose Luis said.
One of the main novelties of the event is that the Valencian community has this year joined the ranks of vaccinating healthy children against influenza – something Andalcia, Murcia and Galicia also did during the previous event. Primary Care Director Eva Suárez explained that two vaccines have been obtained, an intramuscular vaccine for children aged 6 to 24 months and an attenuated intranasal vaccine for children aged 24 to 59 months The advantages of the vaccine are that it provides better protection against influenza virus infection, is easier to administer, and is less aggressive in avoiding punctures.
Suarez pointed out that the World Health Organization recommends children get the flu vaccine because they get infected first, then adults; they stay infected with the flu longer and eliminate more of the virus.
combined vaccination
Combined influenza and COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for persons 60 years of age or older, persons 5 years of age or older receiving care in functional diversity centers, and other long-term institutionalized and closed facility residents.
Likewise, coadministration is also recommended for people under 60 years of age with dangerous medical conditions; pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy and women in the postpartum period; people living with people who are highly immunosuppressed; public and private health and social health Staff of centers and institutions; as well as professionals working in essential public services such as the national security forces and corps, firefighters, civil protection personnel and those working in health emergency services.
Health professionals at residential centers have begun vaccinating residents and staff against COVID-19 and influenza at residential centers, supported by Ministry of Health staff where necessary. For seniors aged 80 years or older, they will receive a flu shot at the health center along with their COVID-19 vaccine dose.
In this sense, citizens belonging to the high-risk groups requiring vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza can request an appointment from the beginning of the bell through the Gva +Salut APP and the Conselleria de Sanitat website. Uso explained that text messages will also be sent to high-risk groups to remind them of the convenience of vaccination, and if they do not have an appointment, they will be called directly to schedule a date for their shot.
Regarding the vaccination of pregnant women and children, health centers will also use routine controls to administer vaccines. As for health personnel who rely on the Ministry of Health, they will be vaccinated through occupational risk prevention and/or preventive medicine services. In primary care, vaccinations will be administered by center staff.
Influenza vaccination is also planned for people aged 5 to 59 years who are at higher risk for influenza complications, such as: people aged 5 to 18 years who are receiving long-term treatment with acetylsalicylic acid because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome; people who are occupationally treated with acetylsalicylic acid Persons who have direct contact with animals or their secretions from poultry, pig or mink farms or farms, or wild animals (birds, wild boars or mustelids); and smokers.
For its part, the COVID-19 vaccine to be administered is the best recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA): the mRNA vaccine obtained from the Omicron strain XBB.1.5.