Vázquez encourages target groups to get flu vaccine

Health Minister Alejandro Vázquez today called on target groups to get vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19, as this is one of the most important measures to ensure the health of certain age groups and groups. Serious “decompensation” may occur, which may even lead to patient death.

The consultant, who was vaccinated this morning at the Casa del Barco Health Center in Valladolid, also issued an appeal to social health professionals and emergency services personnel.

Vazquez recalled that the vaccination campaign for nursing home users began last week, stressing that as of Monday, 21,800 people had been vaccinated, a figure that represented almost half of this group. Furthermore, he said that no incidents of note had been recorded, although he acknowledged that while there were no reports of problems with the flu vaccine, this was not the case with the COVID-19 vaccine and that this was down to the Ministry of Health, which has been working with the Ministry of Health cooperation. There have been some delays in supply. In that sense, he said health centers are trying to administer both doses of the vaccine at the same time to reduce appointments.

Vaccination appointments can be requested through the usual channels, such as the Sacyl Conecta app, the phone number of your health center and the Castile and Leon Health Portal. The bulk of the vaccination campaign will take place in October, November and early December, although health centers always have a surplus of vaccine for those who wish to receive it later.

For the 2023-2024 vaccination campaign, the Department of Health will provide 805,500 doses of influenza vaccine this year, including recommendations for children aged 6 to 59 months and smokers.

Regarding the flu, the campaign targets people who are at higher risk of complications from the flu and who may transmit the flu to others who are at higher risk of complications. The vaccine is recommended for people aged 60 and over; people who have been confined to disability centers and nursing homes for five or more years, as well as other long-term institutionalized people and residents of closed institutions.

In addition, it is targeted at people under 60 years of age with risk conditions such as diabetes and Cushing’s syndrome, morbid obesity, chronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory diseases including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis and asthma, Being a recipient of blood products, asplenia or severe splenic dysfunction, chronic liver disease (including chronic alcoholism), severe neuromuscular disease, immunosuppression (including primary immunodeficiency and HIV infection or drug-induced immunodeficiency), and transplantation Receptor and complement defects.

In turn, it involves cancer and hematological malignancies, cerebrospinal fluid fistulas and one of cochlear implants or waiting, celiac disease, chronic inflammatory diseases, conditions and diseases that lead to cognitive impairment; Down syndrome, dementia disease, etc.), as well as pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy and women in the postpartum period (within 6 months postpartum and not vaccinated); people living with highly immunosuppressed people; except people working in health and social care centres , as well as personnel involved in essential services, such as agents of national security forces and agencies, firefighters, civil defense personnel.

Sacyl ruled out the possibility of vaccinating the general population with the coronavirus vaccine without risk pathology and under the age of 60. If a highly pathogenic variant emerges, there will only be another scenario, which is “extremely unlikely” to occur when a given virus typically evolves toward milder forms.