Need for Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccines in Peru Highlighted by Civil Organization

According to the regional initiative Voces Ciudadanas, the trivalent vaccine that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and regional governments apply to Peruvians does not provide protection against the Yamagata lineage of the influenza type B, strain with the highest circulation in Peru between 2014 and 2020.

For the civil organization, faced with this scenario, it is necessary for the State to acquire quadrivalent vaccines, which provide greater coverage against the disease, since they protect people against the two strains of type B influenza: Yamagata and Victoria, as well as against the AH1N1 and AH3N2 lineages of influenza type A.

“There are no technical reasons for not offering a higher level of protection to our population at risk, and even countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Paraguay are already vaccinating their risk groups with quadrivalent influenza vaccine, as are Panama, Costa Rica and Uruguay”, expressed Pilar Collantes, president of Voces Ciudadanas, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Health, Rosa Gutiérrez; indicating that, after COVID-19, various countries strengthened their policy against influenza with quadrivalent vaccines, in the face of higher cases and the increasing appearance of type B strains.

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According to the letter signed by the president of Voces Ciudadanas, although in 2021 and 2022 there was no presence of the Yamagata lineage in Peru, the national authorities must take action, since the main objective of the vaccination process against influenza must be the prevention; even more so when from time to time new strains appear and others reappear. “It is unpredictable to know if 3 or 4 viruses will come each year, and a trivalent vaccine leaves the population at risk of an infection not covered by the vaccine to develop severe forms or die ”expressed in his letter Citizen Voices.

For this reason, he asked the head of the Minsa – who took office in December 2022 – to correct what was done in the past and opt for quadrivalent vaccines by 2024. The Technical Immunization Standard of the Ministry of Health – approved and published in 2022 – allows to proceed with this acquisition, and obliges the State to buy vaccines that have greater coverage.

Currently, only the private health sector applies quadrivalent vaccines in Peru. Collantes considered that the State should allocate economic resources to reinforce territorial strategies under an intercultural and territorial approach; listening to social organizations, with emphasis on the departments of the jungle and the south of the country, which are further behind in vaccination coverage.

“Minister, today you and your team have in your hands the opportunity to end the inequity and inequality that prevents girls, boys, adolescents, older adults and people with comorbidities from accessing vaccines that are accessed by those with greater resources. We are sure that, with your leadership, the administrative, regulatory and financial procedures can be carried out so that we can start 2024 with a strengthened Vaccination Calendar.”, he concluded.

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