The forecast is that the flu campaign will also begin this year in October so that the population is vaccinated in the months in which the peak of flu infections reaches its peak, usually in the months of December and January. . For this, the Ministry of Health has already acquired the necessary doses. In total, 340,300 according to the resolutions published on the Public Sector Contracting Platform.
There are three purchases made for the anti-flu campaign depending on the vaccine required by the citizens to whom the immunization is directed. On the one hand, with an expenditure of 1,270,880 euros (VAT included), 260,000 doses have been purchased from Sanofi Aventis SA, for the majority of the recipients of the vaccination campaign. But, in addition, 80,000 doses, with high antigenic capacity, have been purchased for two million euros from the same pharmaceutical company, for the population that requires an immunity enhancer.
According to the documentation published regarding this purchase, the doses are for the institutionalized population aged 65 and over and for the entire population over 80 years old, “due to the greater risk they have of presenting complications in the event of falling ill with the flu.” ».
And, on the other hand, in the third contract published, Salud has acquired 300 doses worth 2,310 euros from Seqirus Spain, SL, aimed at people allergic to egg proteins who are included in the target population groups for the which the seasonal flu vaccination campaign is directed. In general terms, those over 60 years of age and children under that age, from babies six months and older, who present some pathology. Also to people who work in essential public services, such as health workers and teachers, as well as State security forces and bodies, firefighters and Civil Protection personnel, among others.
Influenza is an acute viral infection that produces epidemics every winter and can lead to “great morbidity and a certain amount of direct and indirect mortality, the latter mainly due to the large number of complications that the disease induces in the elderly and individuals with chronic diseases.” ».
Hence, administrations advocate prevention through immunization and encourage the population to get vaccinated. Because, it is explained in the report that justifies the need to buy the doses, for the prevention and control of the flu, “as well as to avoid its complications, the most important and effective measure is vaccination.”
The novelty
The campaign, also for this reason, will reach all children under five years of age for the first time in the region this year, following the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union and unlike what happened last year in the region, when only minors who were part of a risk group in that age group were vaccinated, such as asthmatics or those with heart disease, for example.
In this case, however, the vaccine is not injectable, but is given through the nose, as if applying a spray, and to date there is no contract on the Public Sector Procurement Platform for the acquisition of the intranasal vaccine planned for these minors and which was recently approved. There is also no purchase file on the aforementioned platform for the acquisition of booster doses against covid, although the Ministry of Health clarifies that “they are received directly from the ministry.” It should be remembered that last year the seasonal flu campaign was developed in parallel to the covid campaign, in such a way that people who were advised to receive both doses were able to do so at the same time. This year Salud anticipates that it will also be done in parallel and that the forecast is for it to begin before the end of October.
2023-09-16 05:46:43
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