The Department of Health has announced that the vaccination campaign against flu and COVID will begin on October 5th. This delay is due to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommendation to modify three strains of the flu vaccine, which has caused international production delays.
To mitigate the delay's impact, Health will open appointment booking systems at the end of July. The aim is for the target population to schedule their vaccination in advance. Additionally, the department will strengthen vaccination efforts for teachers and professors, a group they admit had been "somewhat forgotten," despite being the main transmitters of the flu.
The campaign will commence on October 5th with vaccinations for residents of care homes, individuals over 80, pregnant women, and children aged 6 to 59 months. Subsequently, on October 26th, it will expand to the rest of the target population, primarily those over 60. From November 16th, primary care teams will also offer walk-in vaccinations during hours determined by each center, although Health prefers to promote scheduled appointments.
Appointment booking systems will open during the last week of July. This will allow individuals over 80, pregnant women, and first-phase groups to book appointments for early October. Those over 60 will be able to request appointments for vaccination starting October 26th. According to Health, this planning aims to concentrate the majority of vaccinations before December 18th.
