Aragonese pharmacies are promoting vaccination against influenza and Covid among people over 60 years of age.

More than 730 pharmacies in Aragon will help the General Directorate of Public Health of the Government of Aragon promote flu and COVID-19 vaccinations among people aged 60 years and older. This initiative, supported by the Official Associations of Pharmacists of Aragon, is part of the 2024/2025 vaccination campaign, which aims to increase immunization rates in the most vulnerable groups and reduce pressure on the Aragon Health Service.

As the main novelty of this year Aragon pharmacies will receive an automatic notification in an electronic prescription every time a patient aged 60 years or older comes to pick up a medicine. This message will remind the pharmacist about the vaccination recommendation so that the pharmacist can inform the patient about the possibility of making an appointment through Salud Informa.

This notice is already used in patients over 65 years of age and, From November 8, it will be extended to people aged 60 to 64 years and other risk groups. It will run for eight weeks, extending the campaign’s reach and facilitating regular contact with patients during their pharmacy visits.

PERSONALIZED AND ACCURATE CONSULTATION

Thanks to the capillarity of the pharmacy network, Aragon’s pharmacists are in a unique position to support the vaccination campaign. On every visit, Pharmacists will not only remember vaccination recommendations, but will also be able to answer questions and, if the patient needs it, help make an appointment. via the Saludinforma website or app, ensuring that all patients, regardless of their digital capabilities, can easily access immunization.

“Pharmacists are a fundamental part of Aragon’s health system and our role in this campaign contributes to coverage and confidence in vaccination”This was stated by the President of the Autonomous Council of the Official Colleges of Pharmacists of Aragon, Raquel García Fuentes. “In Aragon there are almost 300,000 people over 65 years of age. and it is not always easy for the Aragonese Health Service to reach all of them. However, these patients regularly visit the pharmacy to get their medications, which gives us the opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination for the benefit of their health and the health of everyone,” García Fuentes recalled.

WHO RECOMMENDATIONS

Another task of cooperation between the pharmacy chain and health authorities is compliance World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to achieve 75% vaccination coverage for people over 60 years of age. With the support of pharmacists, the campaign is expected to achieve high levels of immunization, which will help reduce infection rates and protect the most vulnerable populations.

Except, Pharmacists in Aragon record their daily interventions to assess the impact of the campaign, noting both recommendations and assistance in organizing vaccination appointments. These data, collected by the Colleges of Pharmacists in Aragon, will allow a detailed analysis of the contribution of pharmacies to public health.