Since the pandemic broke out, Galicians have been summoned to “sign” to immunize themselves against the flu three times already, while in the case of COVID, Sergas is on the fourth dose. The health administration has made them coincide when it has been able, in a 2×1, but not always successfully. In fact, the nursing staff at Sergas have had to listen to more than 88,700 noes between October last year and January this year. That is the number –specifically, 88,757– of Galicians who have refused to get immunized against the flu when a health professional has offered the injection at a vaccination point and despite being part of the target population to receive it.
The number of refusals this winter is a record and in most health areas – neither Vigo nor Lugo – the jump is “considerable”. Since the reports of each campaign make the resignations explicit, which allow us to go back to that of 2016, such a high number of rejections had not been collected. Those 87,000 resignations quite generously triple those of the previous campaign, that of the winter of 2021, when the first rebound of the post-COVID era had already been noticed, adding more than 26,500 noes.
Despite the fact that coverage for pensioners is increasing globally, these are the ones who tend to say no. Six out of ten refusals come from Galicians aged 65 and over. The noes went from affecting 3.5 percent to double, despite the fact that this is a group in which Sergas places “special emphasis”. Sanidade explains that the flu is a “preventable” disease that can “even be fatal, especially in people at risk.” In this sense, he assures that the vaccine “has been shown to be safe and effective in reducing the number of complications of the disease.”
The data from the recent vaccination campaign not only exceeds all post-COVID records, but also the highest figure to date, that recorded in 2017, when resignations had totaled almost 36,500. With the irruption of the coronavirus, Sanidade focused the promotion of immunization against the flu on emphasizing that a vaccine did exist for this ailment, as opposed to the much-sought-after one against COVID. The message of awareness permeated and, added to the fear in the new scenario, contributed to the fact that in the winter of 2020 resignations marked a minimum, less than 20,000. However, in 2021 a relaxation was already noticed and now in 2022 they have scored a maximum.
The Sanidade report justifies it in that the “joint offer” of the flu and COVID vaccine for Galicians aged 60 and over – all of them a target population – increases the number of people and, “therefore, the number of rejections registered”. He adds that another factor that may influence the “marked difference” with the previous period – there are 62,000 more resignations – is that the nursing staff, in charge of administering the vaccine, “have become familiar with the importance of recording resignations in cases relevant”. It must be taken into account that when the patient refuses to be immunized, that resignation is reflected in their electronic medical record and that is the figure referenced in the report.
The increase in refusals occurs in a context of two previous seasons with almost no presence of the disease. In the winter of 2020-21, there was no influenza activity and the following year it was “of low intensity” and the wave came “later than ever before”, as the same report points out. All in all, the behavior of the last flu season, that of this autumn-winter, and despite being also “anomalous”, points out Saúde Pública, included a wave at the beginning of the season, in October, precisely when vaccination begins, “ much earlier than usual”, and of intensity greater than that of the previous year, but less than the pre-pandemic, with type A viruses. Added to this is a second “late”, warns the Xunta, in the middle of last month , which would be similar to that of 2021 and in which type B dominates.
ICU admissions
The proportion of those admitted who required ICU this season, the report indicates, is being 6.1%, more aligned with the pre-COVID trend than last year, when they did not even account for half. This season they have needed care in Galician hospitals 1,431 patients, of whom 89 required ICU and 66 died, 11 of them due to influenzaone of them in the last week analyzed – the one that ended on April 16 – and during which 17 more admissions were reported.
The flu is not the only one that suffers wear and tear on immunization. The first memory dose of COVID achieved 95% coverage in Galicians over 70 years of age and the second is 88% in people over 80 and 84% between 70 and 79, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Galicia advances vaccination against herpes zoster
In addition to offering the flu vaccine when citizens are vaccinated against COVID, Sergas has a promotion program through calls to patients aged 65 to 74 without an appointment to get immunized. Nursing staff inform them of “the importance of getting vaccinated and the risks of not doing so. This time they only convinced 250, one in ten, the lowest percentage in three years. The unpersuaded are included in resignations.
