Vaccination campaign against influenza and COVID begins
After the first stage of the project vaccination against influenza and COVID at the place of residence, as well as for persons aged 80 years and older and pregnant women, vaccination of the remaining persons included in the recommendations begins on October 14 of this year, including persons aged 60 years and older, persons with risk conditions (including chronic ones). health problems and obesity), immunosuppressed people or health and social care workers, and other essential and critical services. And this year, like last season, flu vaccination is recommended for children from 6 to 59 months and smokers.
Vaccination of children
Regarding vaccination of children from 6 to 59 months, it must be taken into account that this age group is one of the most affected by the infection. The vaccine will give children early protection from contracting or becoming seriously ill with the disease. WHO and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommend this annual vaccination for children, and twelve European countries have already introduced it. Regarding vaccination against COVID-19, according to the epidemiological situation and the acquired immunity of the population, annual vaccination is targeted at people at high risk of developing complications and other groups such as health and social care workers who care for these vulnerable people and vaccination against COVID-19 of persons outside these groups is not yet justified.
WHO recommendations
According to WHO recommendations, quadrivalent vaccines are available for vaccinating citizens against influenza, and trivalent vaccines are available for children aged 24 to 59 months. Regarding vaccines against COVID-19will be monovalent, adapted mainly to work with the JN.1 variant. For this vaccination campaign, a total of 1,768,000 doses of influenza vaccines were purchased, which is 53,000 additional doses compared to the 2023-2024 vaccination campaign (1,715,000) and 163,200 doses more than for the 2022-2023 campaign ( 1,604,800).
New this season, doses of intranasal attenuated vaccine have been purchased for children from 24 to 59 months (according to the technical data sheet of the drug, it cannot be administered to children under 24 months). Health targets, aligned with those of the World Health Organization (WHO), aim to achieve 75% coverage for people over 60 years of age, people with at-risk conditions and health care personnel, achieve 60% coverage for pregnant women and increase coverage in children. In Catalonia, it is estimated that vaccination prevents more than 34,000 cases of disease and its complications every year. Vaccination is vital: it is the most effective public health intervention, it reduces the burden on the health system across different health services and people’s quality of life.