The School Vaccination Program of the Region of Murcia was recognized by the European Digital and Health Agency (HaDEA) as one of the most promising practices of the ‘Overcoming obstacles to vaccination’ project. Thus, the European Union awarded this recognition at a meeting organized at the Ministry of Health, taking advantage of the visit of some thirty technicians from different countries who are in the Region to learn about the implementation of the program.
“This recognition highlights the effort that has been made by the General Directorate of Public Health, the Murcian Health Service and schools to promote accessibility to vaccination,” said the acting Health Minister, Juan José Pedreño.
“It is a fact that convenience in the administration improves access to vaccines and decreases the reluctance of the population,” he said, adding that in this sense, “the school vaccination program in the Region of Murcia has played a role very important”.
Accessibility, the promotion of equality and the increase in vaccination coverage are three of the aspects that the European Digital and Health Agency has taken into account to recognize the work of the school vaccination program.
As part of this recognition, 30 professionals from 15 countries of the Union, accompanied by technicians from the Vaccine Service of the General Directorate of Public Health, learn these days how the program is organized and implemented, so that they can start it up in the health systems of their respective territories.
Coverage above the national average
The Departments of Health and Education of the Region of Murcia have been collaborating for decades to make vaccination more accessible with different campaigns in educational centers.
Thus, the acting counselor stressed that “bringing vaccination to school guarantees, in addition to more accessibility, more equality and better vaccination rates”, and highlighted “the enormous involvement of professionals from health centers and teachers and directors of the centers to achieve the objectives, to which we are very grateful”.
This 2022/2023 school year, a pilot program has been developed in 24 flu immunization centers with the new intranasal vaccine in children in 1st and 2nd year of Early Childhood Education, and the vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been introduced in male pre-adolescents who turn 11 (girls have been immunized since 2008).
HPV vaccine coverage is close to 5 percent above the national average and reaches almost 96 percent in the first dose; the difference in second doses is even greater, being close to 10 percentage points above the national average.
Similar is the coverage in the first dose of immunization against meningococcus, another of the vaccines administered in schools this year. Thus, it reaches 95 percent, 4.5 points above the national average.
Only selected Spanish proposals
Among all the proposals presented by the different countries of the European Union before the European Digital and Health Agency, ten projects were selected, including two of the three presented by the Region of Murcia, which were the only Spanish programs. Of those ten selected, there were five finalists among which the regional School Vaccination Program was recognized, which was also the most voted.
To use it as an example of good practice, the European Union listed the main achievements of this project: achieving greater vaccination coverage for HPV and meningococcus; considerably reduce cases of disease; prevention of HPV-related conditions; the promotion of equality; and collaborative efforts between different entities.
2023-06-01 12:00:41
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