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Thus, the vaccination campaign against influenza will begin this Monday, April 4 throughout the country. That same day, the application of the fourth dose of the COVID vaccine will also begin to a group that has not yet been specified, although it had been mentioned that they would prioritize doctors, nurses, hospital administrative personnel, older adults and immunocompromised.
Read More: When will influenza vaccines reach the public sector?
“universal” vaccination
Dr. Castro commented that vaccination against influenza will be universal, that is, for all those who are six months of age or older, ruling out a strategy by age as it was in previous years.
Read More: Flu: they confirm that 2,200,000 doses for children and adults will arrive in April
“The presentation of the pediatric vaccine is applied from 6 months to 3 years of age. The 0.25 ml pediatric is from 6 months to 3 years. From 3 years onwards it is 0.5. We want to start simultaneously in all ages. It will be available to anyone who wants to get vaccinated against the flu. We are going to make them universally available from 6 months onwards”, explained Dr. Castro.
Simultaneous application allowed
According to the protocols now handled by the Ministry of Health, the influenza and COVID vaccines can be applied at the same time, without any inconvenience. “We have evidence that it can be administered safely at the same time,” remarked the head of the PAI.
Read More: Without flu vaccines, there are already cases of simultaneous infection with influenza and covid-19
Consequently, special sites will be enabled with all types of vaccines available. These places will be the same ones that were frequented to receive anti-COVID vaccines, although an official list of which they would be has not yet been given.
The influenza vaccines that will be applied this year are trivalent, which will protect against the strains that are estimated to circulate in the winter of this year in the southern hemisphere.
Regarding the period that people must wait to receive the flu vaccine, Castro replied that it is not necessary to wait a year to do so and that those who are interested can do so as soon as they are available.
fourth dose
Finally, in relation to the COVID vaccines that will be administered for the second booster dose (fourth dose), he said that they will be those of messenger RNA, that is, those of Pfizer or Moderna.
Read More: COVID: fourth dose for personnel in white, over 50 years of age and immunocompromised
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