The 2024-2025 vaccination campaign in front of the gripe and the covid-19 It has already started in some autonomous communities (in Galicia, on September 23) and in others it will begin in early or mid-October. It is important to know the risk groups in which these vaccines are recommended because, although the basic criteria are maintained from year to year, there is usually some change.
The flu season has not yet started in Spain and the cases that occur are very specific, since it is a seasonal virus. But infections will soon begin to rise. On the other hand, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is always present, with peaks throughout the year that usually coincide with periods in which there are greater crowds and gatherings of people.
At the moment, the agent that causes covid-19 remains at moderate levels. As the fall and winter progress, it is likely to increase. Coronavirus infection cases reached high levels in early summer. According to the weekly reports of Sentinel Surveillance of Acute Respiratory Infection in Primary Care, prepared by the Carlos III Health Institute, the positivity in primary care rose in the last week of June from 36.4% to 42.5%. Towards mid-July it began to decline and has followed a decreasing trend until today.
The latest data available, corresponding to the week of September 9 to 15, show that The percentage of positivity is 1.3% for flu (4.7% in the previous week), 12.3% for SARS-CoV-2 (14.6% in the previous week) and 0.3% for respiratory syncytial virus (0% in the previous week).
Importance of vaccination
It is not only that cases of covid occur all year round, as confirmed Isabel Jimenoresponsible for the Vaccine Working Group of the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG), but rather Doctors continue to “see patients admitted to hospitalsalthough the majority are older people and individuals with risk pathologies.” For this reason, the expert considers that it is very important to continue having diagnostic tests in health centers; If possible, they allow the simultaneous detection of influenza, covid and respiratory syncytial virus.
The expert encourages people included in risk groups for both covid and flu to get vaccinated. Regarding the coronavirus, remember that the vaccine is not useful to prevent the disease, but it is useful to prevent avoid serious illness and death. Regarding the flu, he points out that getting vaccinated year after year serves to “train the immune system, which weakens if it does not work for a long time.” However, when it continues to work gain strength against the flu virus.
Vaccination is still recommended for people who have recently had Covid-19 and belong to a risk group, but when at least three months have passed since infection.
People who are advised to get vaccinated against flu and covid
According to the flu and covid-19 vaccination recommendations document in the
season 2024-2025 in Spain, prepared by the Public Health Commission of the Ministry of Health, the reasons why vaccination is recommended are summarized in two: for avoid serious conditions in case of suffering from the infection and for reduce massive medical sick leave for essential groups like the police or firefighters. These are the population groups that are advised to receive the two vaccines:
- People of 60 or more years of age.
- People 5 years or older inmates in disability centers, nursing homes and residents in closed institutions.
- People from 12 years of age with the following risk conditions: diabetes mellitus and Cushing’s syndrome; obesity morbid; chronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory diseases (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis, asma; chronic kidney disease and nephrotic syndrome; hemoglobinopathies and anemias o hemophiliaother coagulation disorders and chronic bleeding disorders, as well as recipients of blood products and multiple transfusions; asplenia or severe splenic dysfunction; chronic liver diseaseincluding chronic alcoholism; serious neuromuscular diseases; immunosuppression (including primary immunodeficiencies and that caused by HIV infection or by drugs, as well as in transplant recipients and complement deficiency); cancer and malignant blood diseases; chronic inflammatory disease; disorders and diseases that lead cognitive dysfunction (Down syndrome, dementias and others).
- Pregnant in any trimester of gestation and women during the postpartum period (up to 6 months after delivery and who have not been vaccinated during pregnancy).
- Personas cohabiting with those who have a high degree of immunosuppression (with hematopoietic stem cell transplant, solid organ transplant, chronic renal failure, HIV infection with low CD4 count (
- Staff of health and social health centers and establishments public and private. People who work in essential public services (State security forces and bodies, armed forces, firefighters and civil protection services).
Vaccination against covid-19 in children
In children between 6 months and 12 years vaccination is recommended for children with conditions associated with an increased risk of serious illness and their cohabitants: hematopoietic stem cell transplant, some primary and acquired immunodeficiencies, recipients of immunosuppressive therapies, cancer, severe chronic cardiovascular diseases, severe chronic respiratory diseases (including severe asthma) and severe neurological or neuromuscular diseases.
Vaccination against influenza in children and other population groups
While the coronavirus vaccine is only recommended for those children who are most at risk, Flu vaccination is recommended for all children under 5 years of age (starting from 6 months). Also to other groups. These are the specific recommendations:
- Child population between 6 and 59 months of age.
- People who have a increased risk of complications from the flu: minors between 5 and 12 years of age with risk conditions and individuals between 5 and 18 years of age who receive prolonged treatment with acetylsalicylic acid, due to the possibility of developing Reye’s syndrome after the flu.
