The Ministry of Health and the autonomous communities will approve next Monday, at the Inter-territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS) to be held in Extremadura, the ‘Common lifetime vaccination calendar for the year 2023’, which includes as main novelties the meningitis B vaccine and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in children from 12 years of age.
The Public Health Commission already approved in October, and therefore it was included in the calendar, the extension of the vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) scheduled for 12-year-old children, thus covering both sexes.
As stated in the document, the two-dose vaccination schedule will be applicable to both 12-year-old boys and girls with a minimum interval of 6 months. The CCAA is to incorporate the vaccine into children by the end of 2024.
Madrid, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Galicia, Murcia and the Valencian Community already vaccinate or have announced that they will vaccinate children against HPV from 2023 and free of charge for families.
Galicia was the first community that started, on September 15, with the HPV vaccination in 12-year-old children (born since January 2010). In the Valencian Community, the vaccine has already been administered to more than 700 12-year-old children (born in 2010) since its inclusion on October 1 in the Valencian childhood vaccination calendar.
In Andalusia, the president of the junta, Juanma Moreno, has announced that it will be incorporated as of January 1, 2023, so that the more than 47,000 male residents of Andalusia born in 2011 will be able to be vaccinated next year.
In Madrid, the Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, announced that the regional government will start vaccinating children against HPV as soon as the ministry authorizes it.
Murcia also supports the purchase of human papillomavirus vaccine for people over the age of 11. In total, 10,000 11-year-old children (born in 2011) will benefit, who will receive vaccines in educational centers throughout the school year, with the first dose this year.
In May, Catalonia announced it would include human papilloma virus vaccination in children aged 11-12 in its vaccination schedule for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. It will acquire 175,000 doses, of which 70,000 are for children.
As for Castilla-La Mancha, its president, Emiliano García-Page, advanced two weeks ago in the debate on the state of the region that his government will incorporate the vaccine in 12-year-old children.
meningitis B, tear and shingles On the other hand, due to “the high severity and sequelae of this disease, as well as the equity of the measure in the population”, the Autonomous Communities will gradually incorporate meningitis B vaccination at 2, 4 and 12 months of age, being especially important to vaccinate on time at 2 and 4 months of age.
Likewise, the recommendation, already approved in 2018, to administer two doses of the 4CMenB vaccine to people belonging to previously unvaccinated risk groups is maintained. In addition, a booster dose one year after completion of vaccination and every five years thereafter is recommended in these population groups.
The flu vaccine for children aged 6 to 59 months has also been placed on the calendar for the 2023-24 season. The document specifies that a dose will be administered and that it will be possible to start with the youngest children.
Similarly, vaccination against herpes zoster of the population at 65 years of age (born in 1958) is also incorporated. Two doses will be given, separated by a minimum interval of 8 weeks. Furthermore, it will be possible to progressively capture the cohorts between the ages of 66 and 80, starting with the population turning 80. According to the timetable, this vaccine will be incorporated into all CCAAs by the end of 2024.
