Who should get the flu and COVID vaccine?

seasonal vaccination campaign for the autumn-winter season 2024-2025. it has already begun. This week, Health Minister Monica García unveiled a campaign that expects to reach 75% of people over 65 and 60% of people at risk. Thus, people who need to be vaccinated as flu as of COVID-19 (not all people need to be vaccinated) they can now go to their health center in accordance with the actions and protocol of each Autonomous Community.

“Vaccination is the most effective measure for preventing complications and hospitalizations due to respiratory tract infections such as influenza and Covid,” the doctor said. Ana Pilar Javier Miranda, doctor specializing in “Family and Community Medicine”, coordinator of the group for the prevention of infectious diseases of the PAPPS Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC).

For this reason, the doctor adds, “the population needs to be vaccinated in order to avoid infections and complications as much as possible, as well as to avoid overloading the health care system.” Vaccination has been shown to reduce deaths and hospitalizations for these diseases, but also the higher the vaccination coverage, the less the virus circulates.

As we see every year with the influenza virus, and since 2020 with the COVID virus (SARS-CoV-2), infection with one of these viruses, may be complicated by pneumoniawhich requirehospitalizationThus, “the primary goal of vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 is to protect the most vulnerable populations, reduce morbidity and mortality, and reduce the impact of these infections on public health and public health capacity.”

Flu and COVID vaccination reduces mortality

Some data did show that Vaccines reduce deaths and hospitalizations for these diseases. especially in people over 60 years of age and even more so in people over 75 years of age, who account for 51% of hospitalizations for influenza. In turn, 74% of COVID-related hospitalizations occur in people aged 70 and older.

Flu and COVID vaccines reduce deaths and hospitalizations for these diseases, especially in people over 60 and even more so in people over 75.

On the one hand, relatively COVID-19– explains the doctor – According to a recent publication, the number of lives saved by COVID vaccination programs in the WHO European Region between December 2020 and March 2023 increased to 1.6 million people aged 25 years and over. At the same time, 96% of lives were saved. in people over 60 years of age and 52% in people over 80 years of age. Overall, there was a 59% reduction in overall mortality.

On the other hand, and relatively flu“Another study published a year ago on the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in Europe concluded that vaccine effectiveness was higher among children, with point estimates exceeding 50%.”

In addition,” the doctor continues, “and taking into account the latest weekly epidemiological report of the Community of Madrid from October 1, 2024, with accumulated data up to the 39th week of 2024, “of those hospitalized for influenza aged 65 to 79 years – 63.6 “. “% were not vaccinated; and of those over 80, almost half have not been vaccinated either.”

Not Everyone Should Get the Flu and COVID Vaccine: These Are the People Who Do

Not all people should be vaccinated against both viruses, as given the current epidemiological situation, vaccination against influenza and Covid is not justified, although “vaccination can be assessed individually after vaccination of priority groups has been completed,” explains semFYC. doctor.

Next, the doctor explains to all people and risk groups for whom these vaccines are recommended.

1. Vaccination against both viruses: influenza and COVID.

Vaccination against both viruses is recommended for the following group due to a greater risk of complications or severe symptoms:

• People 60 years of age and older.
• People aged 5 years and older who are in disability centers, nursing homes, and also living in closed institutions.
• People over 12 years of age with the following risk conditions: diabetes mellitus and Cushing’s syndrome, morbid obesity, chronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory diseases including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis and asthma, chronic kidney disease and nephrotic syndrome, hemoglobinopathies and anemia or hemophilia. , other bleeding disorders and chronic bleeding disorders, as well as recipients of blood products and multiple blood transfusions, asplenia or severe splenic dysfunction, chronic liver diseases, including chronic alcoholism, severe neuromuscular diseases, immunosuppression (including primary immunodeficiencies and caused HIV infection or taking medications). , as well as in transplant recipients and complement deficiency), cancer and malignant blood diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases and disorders and diseases causing cognitive dysfunction.
• Pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy and women in the postpartum period (up to 6 months after birth and not vaccinated during pregnancy).
• People living with those who are highly immunosuppressed.

As well as the following groups to reduce impacts and maintain critical and necessary public services:

• Staff of public and private medical and social centers and health care institutions.
• People who work in the core government services, with particular emphasis on the following subgroups: State security forces and agencies with national, regional or local dependence, and the Armed Forces, firefighters and civil protection services.

2. Vaccination only against COVID.

• In children from 6 months to 12 years in situations of increased risk of severe diseases and their cohabitants: transplant recipients, immunodeficiencies, immunosuppressive therapy, including cancer and severe chronic cardiovascular, severe chronic respiratory and severe neurological diseases.

3. Vaccine against influenza only

• Children from 6 to 59 months.
• People at increased risk for complications from influenza: children ages 5 to 12 years with at-risk conditions; people from 5 to 18 years of age who are on long-term treatment with acetylsalicylic acid; smokers; people with celiac disease; people with a spinal fistula and people with a cochlear implant or people expecting one.
• Students on internship in medical and social health centers.
• Staff of kindergartens and preschool education centers for children under 5 years old.
• People exposed to occupational hazards due to contact with animals or their excretions on poultry, swine, mink and wildlife farms or farms.

On this page Ministry of HealthLet’s find all the information you need related to the flu and COVID vaccines.