Health begins flu vaccinations for elderly residents and children under 4 in La Rioja

Under the motto “A small dose for a big life: get vaccinated!” On Tuesday, October 1, the Ministry of Health launched a campaign to prevent respiratory infections with the introduction of the first doses against influenza and Covid. at Residencia El Sol in Logrono.

During this week, vaccinations will be extended to the rest of the community’s nursing homes, which will receive a double flu dose, while at the same time vaccinating children aged 6 to 59 months, in this case only the flu vaccine. will be vaccinated, as explained by the Minister of Health and Social Policy, Maria Martín, and the Director General of Public Health, Consumption and Care, Eva Martínez Ochoa.

“Vaccination is the most effective measure to protect ourselves and our most vulnerable people, and the only way to reduce the impact of influenza and Covid, such as morbidity and mortality, or their impact on health and social care capacity,” Maria Martin said in the presentation. campaign, which is almost a month ahead of last year.

La Rioja has 109,000 doses of flu vaccine and almost 45,000 doses of Covid vaccine, which will be supplemented by additional supplies from the Ministry of Health in the coming weeks. All vaccines are tailored to the strain currently circulating.

According to the schedule planned by the Ministry of Health, in this first week, people placed in nursing homes will be vaccinated with a double dose, and at the same time the population aged 6 to 59 months, in the case of children under 3 years of age. and 4 years in their schools and with an intranasal dose. The campaign will launch in the second week of October to people over 85 and health and social care professionals; and from the 16th, third week, among the rest of the population and risk groups: people over 60 years of age, people over 12 years of age with pathologies, pregnant women, people living with vulnerable populations, as well as essential workers. .

The bulk of the vaccination campaign will take place in health centers and Rioja Health Services offices and will continue as long as the virus continues to circulate and depending on the availability of vaccines. Those interested can make an appointment by calling Salud Responde 941 29 83 33 or by contacting their health center or office.

Apart from the promotion at the beginning of the campaign, the main events are those that affect the child population. “Intranasal influenza vaccination will be carried out at the school level in Logroño with the aim of increasing the availability of vaccination among minors attending the 1st and 2nd grades of pre-primary education, and as the campaign progresses, the issue of vaccination without an appointment will be considered. for children from 6 months to 4 years, both are included, as we did last year on Saturdays at the CIBIR as part of the Emergency Action Plan, put into effect due to the increase in respiratory infections,” the head of the Ministry of Health emphasized.

High coverage

In this regard, the Director General of Public Health clarified that in the case of children, influenza vaccination is indicated for all children aged 6 to 59 months, as well as for risk groups over this age. Eva Martínez Ochoa also recalled that as part of this campaign, the immunization of Rioja children against bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continues. At the same time, it was clarified that it will be prescribed to children born from April 2024 to March 2025, born from this month in the hospital before being sent home, as well as children born from April to September last year in its center with normal health for next few years. weeks.

Both the consultant and the director general of public health emphasized the importance of the vaccination campaign to achieve excellent vaccination coverage rates last year, which were around 80% among the population aged 75 years and over; almost 70% in the group from 65 to 74 years old; 92.55% in elderly people living in nursing homes and about 70% in pregnant women. “I hope we can collate and improve the data from this campaign, especially for the population aged 60 to 64 years, as well as health and social care personnel, and strengthen influenza vaccination strategies in high-risk groups,” concluded Eva Martínez Ochoa.