Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign: Objectives, Recommendations, and New Features

València (EFE).- The Ministry of Health begins this Monday, October 16, the flu vaccination campaign, which will be administered simultaneously along with the dose of the coronavirus vaccine to the entire population for which it is intended. This double immunization is indicated.

In the 2023-2024 season, the objectives for vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 are to achieve or exceed vaccination coverage of 75% in people over 65 years of age and in health and social health personnel, as well as exceed 60% in pregnant women. and in people with other risk conditions.

Two million vaccines

“This involves the immunization of more than 1,350,000 people and the administration of more than 2 million doses of vaccines in 2,683 vaccination points, of which 417 are residences,” highlighted the Minister of Health, Marciano Gómez.

As the councilor explained this Saturday, the objective of this campaign is “to protect the most vulnerable population, who may suffer complications as a result of their personal situation.”

He has indicated that, given the coincidence of “a significant part of the target population targeted by flu vaccination and COVID 19 vaccination, a joint vaccination campaign has been proposed.

Population to whom the double vaccine is recommended

The administration of joint vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 is recommended for people aged 60 years or older, as well as people aged 5 years or older cared for in centers for functional diversity and other long-term institutionalized people and residents in closed institutions.

Joint administration is also recommended for people under 60 years of age with risk pathologies; pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy and women during the postpartum period; and people living with those who have a high degree of immunosuppression.

A vaccination in the Valencian Community. EFE/Biel ALiño/Archive

Staff from public and private health and socio-health centers and establishments, and professionals who work in essential public services (State Security Forces and Corps, firefighters, civil protection and personnel who work in health emergency services), are the other groups to which which is recommended.

Vaccination will be prioritized for residents in centers for the elderly and those with functional diversity; population aged 80 and over; health and social health personnel; people between 60 and 79 years old and other risk groups.

Vaccination against COVID-19 and the flu of residents and workers has begun in the residential centers by health professionals from the center itself, with the support of staff from the Department of Health when necessary.

People aged 80 or older will be vaccinated against flu at the health center, coinciding with the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine dose.

How are you going to get vaccinated?

Citizens belonging to the risk groups for which vaccination against Covid-19 and flu is indicated can request an appointment from the Gva +Salut APP and from the Ministry of Health website from the beginning of the campaign.

Regarding the vaccination of pregnant women, routine pregnancy check-ups will be used to administer the vaccine in health centers.

As for health personnel dependent on the Ministry of Health, they will be vaccinated by occupational risk prevention and/or preventive medicine services. In primary care, the center staff will carry out the vaccination.

News in flu vaccination

This year, this flu vaccination campaign includes new features: the administration of the vaccine among Valencians over 60 years of age, instead of the 65 years that was established until now, and among healthy children under five years of age (between 6 and 59). months), in order to immunize the greatest number of citizens and prevent infections.

Children between 6 and 59 months of age without pathology will be vaccinated against influenza at any time from the beginning of the vaccination campaign, without interfering with the vaccination of the rest of the groups.

Another novelty of the campaign for this 2023-2024 season is that for the first time in the Valencian Community an attenuated intranasal vaccine will be used in children between 2 and 4 years old, which offers greater protection against infection by coronavirus. the flu, is easier to administer and less aggressive.

It is also planned to vaccinate people between 5 and 59 years of age who are at greater risk of complications derived from influenza, such as people between 5 and 18 years of age who receive prolonged treatment with acetylsalicylic acid, due to the risk of developing influenza. a Reye syndrome.

People with direct occupational exposure to animals or their secretions on poultry, pig or mink farms or farms or to wild fauna (birds, wild boars or mustelids), and smokers are the other groups.

Regarding the COVID19 vaccine to be administered, it is the one recommended as optimal by the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency: the mRNA vaccine obtained from the Omicron XBB.1.5 strain.

2023-10-14 09:15:14
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