Primary care pediatricians call for improved flu vaccination coverage for children under 5 years of age

The Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatricians (AEPap) has called on families and administrations to urgently improve coverage rates for children under five years of age before the start of the influenza vaccination campaign in October this year, in order to protect both them and their children. their surroundings.

“Boys and girls without risk factors may develop serious illnesses requiring hospitalization,” stressed Ignacio Domingo, coordinator of the AEPap vaccine group. The association also noted that although influenza causes greater mortality among older adults, young children are hospitalized in the same proportion as children over 60 years of age, and furthermore, two out of every three minors hospitalized for influenza do not have any factors risk.

Thus, vaccinations are given not only to protect others and prevent them from acting as “transmitters”, but mainly to protect the minors themselves. This importance of influenza vaccination in children is still unknown to the population, as Domingo explained: “Society in general believes that the influenza vaccine is necessary for the elderly but not for the child population, but “this is a mistake.”

Average flu vaccine coverage among children under five in Spain last season was 36 percent, with some of the more populous autonomous communities, such as Madrid and Catalonia, below that, according to the Health Ministry’s statistics portal. the figure is also in other countries, such as the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands, where it has not reached 20 percent.

“This year we must change this situation and all primary care pediatricians must make an effort to educate the mothers and fathers we serve in consultations about the convenience of vaccinating children, including against influenza, at the age recommended by health authorities “said AEPap President Pedro Gorrotxategui.

AVAILABLE VACCINES AND PREVENTION FOR CHILDREN UNDER SIX MONTHS

Dr. Domingo provided information about the two types of vaccines currently available. On the one hand, intranasal, which may be “more convenient”, but “is not allowed for children under two years of age.” And on the other hand, the intramuscular vaccine, which is given by injection, is the only one available for children from six months to two years of age or for those who cannot receive the intranasal vaccine under five years of age.

However, none of the vaccines are available for children under six months of age, so to protect at-risk children of this age, it is necessary to vaccinate cohabitants and take basic hygiene measures, such as frequent adult handwashing.