Flu vaccinations - 2022

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Radio Sintonia:

Flu vaccination campaign to begin at health facilities on 24 October.

The Minister of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, Blas Trujillo, presented this morning the flu vaccination campaign for the 2022-23 season. Flu vaccination will begin in all the islands next Monday, October 24, according to the counselor, who was accompanied at the press conference by the Director General of Public Health, José Juan Alemán, and the head of the Epidemiology and Prevention service, Amós García.

Blas Trujillo pointed out that this year the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to coincide with the flu season, so vaccination continues to be essential. The Canary Islands have acquired a total of 297,000 doses of flu vaccine to face this 2022-23 flu season, with a total investment of 2,409,000 euros.

The counselor also recalled that "by vaccinating the at-risk population against the flu, we also avoid the coexistence of the two infections, influenza and COVID-19 in the same person, which will minimize the risk to people's health while reducing the healthcare impact on the health system at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and seasonal influenza epidemic still coincide".

During his speech, José Juan Alemán has shown the information campaign that will be disseminated in digital media, social networks, screens in the urban environment and radio stations, to remind which are the population groups that are at risk of complications in case of contracting flu, and that they should be vaccinated.

For his part, Amós García has insisted that the vaccine is the most effective means to avoid contracting or transmitting the flu, especially in those people who are at risk of complications in case of suffering from the disease and in the personnel that is essential for the community such as the health and caregivers of the elderly or dependents.

To face this season, four types of vaccines will be available:

• Inactivated vaccines produced from viruses grown in embryonated eggs, fractionated viruses or surface antigens (H and N), or similar. 140,000 doses have been purchased for people under 65 with underlying pathologies and pregnant women.

• Inactivated vaccines produced from viruses grown in embryonated eggs, fractionated viruses or surface antigens (H and N), or analogous (Tetravalent). 60,000 doses have been purchased for people over 65 years of age.

• Inactivated vaccines produced from viruses grown in cell cultures of fractionated viruses or surface antigens (H and N), or analogous. 80,000 doses have been purchased for children under 65 with basic pathologies and pregnant women.

• Inactivated vaccines produced from viruses grown in embryonated eggs, fractionated viruses or surface antigens (H and N), or similar. 17,000 doses have been purchased for elderly people institutionalized in nursing homes.

Appointment for vaccination

Vaccination in health centers will begin on October 24 and must always be done by appointment, by calling 012 or its numbers without additional pricing 922 470 012 and 928 301 012.

Target groups of this vaccination campaign

1.- Population groups at risk of complications in case of influenza:

• Over 60 years old, to prevent complications, hospitalizations or deaths in case of contracting the flu.

• People diagnosed with chronic pathologies of any age (over 6 months), to prevent complications, hospitalizations or deaths in case of contracting the disease.

• Pregnant women, to protect themselves and their future children, and prevent complications, hospitalizations or deaths in case of contracting the flu.

2.- Professions that are fundamental for the community.

• Health personnel, to protect themselves and the people under their care, also avoiding that their services, which are essential for the community, may occur in case of multiple flu casualties.

3.- Personnel who take care of the elderly or dependents, to protect themselves, their colleagues, and the extremely fragile population they serve, avoiding a possible reduction of their services in case of multiple flu leaves.