THE Health and Consumer Advisor of the Andalusian Government, Rocio Hernándezappeared this Wednesday morning at Parliament of Andalusia take stock of the vaccination campaigns of previous seasons and set the objectives for those starting in those weeks.
Without going any further, October 9 is the starting point for vaccination against flu and the COVID-19[feminine in the region, although limited to people aged 80 or overinmates of nursing homes, nursing homes or centers for disabled people, their staff, as well as that of health and social centers and very people dependents at home – and among their caregivers -. Women are also part of this first group. pregnant and the postpartum during the first six months.
The Council’s goal, as Hernández said, is to achieve “75% coverage for the elderly, pregnant women and health professionals; and 60% in people with chronic pathologies and children from six months to four years and eleven months.
In this sense, the advisor highlighted the intranasal flu vaccine that it can be applied from 24 months and that it provides several advantages such as “going directly to the mucous membrane”, “serving as protection not only for the child, but also for their families, caregivers and health professionals education” and that he facilitates accessibility of children to the vaccine, when administered in educational centers, which “saves parents from having to go to health centers”.
From this Wednesday October 9 more than 20,000 children had already received the vaccineaccording to data provided by Rocío Hernández, who assures that his portfolio is redoubling its efforts to exceed “45% of the target population which was reached in 2023”, or some 136,000 children.
Syncytial virus and bronchiolitis
Among his summary of the history of changes introduced by the Board of Directors Juanma Moreno in Andalusia since 2019, the Minister of Health recalled the introduction “for the first time, of meningococcal vaccine from 12 months and 12 years, the meningococcal B vaccine for all infants, the flu vaccination for children from 6 to 59 months, of which we were pioneers with Murcia and Galicia.
Regarding the previous campaign, that of 2023, Hernández recalled that “new developments have been introduced such as the administration of the vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus in children under 6 months –main cause of bronchiolitis in infants– ; The meningococcal C vaccine was replaced by vaccine B, which covers 20 serotypes in adults and children, the pneumococcus cohort increased from 60 to 73 years, and the meningococcal C vaccine was replaced by the ACWY vaccine. Children aged 4 months.
Pneumococcal meningitis is one of those which has had the greatest consequences in children in terms of blindness And deafness and the data ensures that since the implementation of the vaccine, hospitalizations of children for bronchiolitis have decreased by 78% and admissions in intensive care66%.
“Often, children under six months who had to stay in neonatal intensive care were separated from their parents,” emphasized the pediatrician, who also said that 2,000 hospitalizations avoided with vaccination in these young children.
According to the ministry’s forecasts, in the current campaign, which began on September 23, between 55,000 and 60,000 children are affected less than six months. For this purpose, a game of 15.8 million.
According to the assessment provided by the Council, the proportion reached during these few weeks is similar to that of 2023, although it was possible to vaccinate “3,300 children in a single day”as a sign that “a strong effort is being made to reach as many children as possible before the cold months arrive”, a period during which syncytial respiration has a greater effect.
“Neither the authorities, nor society in general, can relax when it comes to conveying a clear and strong message: vaccines save lives.” “Vaccination campaigns directly lead to better health outcomes” and, “ultimately, greater citizen confidence in public health.”
“This government has made an unprecedented commitment to vaccination, and the direct result of this commitment is that Andalusia today has one of the most advanced and comprehensive vaccination schedules in the country“, he concluded.
