Vaccination Guide: Covid-19 and Flu Vaccine Recommendations for Different Groups

Madrid (EFE).- People over 60, children under that age with risk conditions, pregnant or within six months of giving birth, healthcare, social healthcare and essential public services are the groups that epidemiologists urge to get vaccinated against covid -19 and the flu in the current campaign.

The Spanish Epidemiology Society (SEE) has published a guide to clarify citizens’ doubts about vaccination against these diseases in a new campaign that recommends the flu dose to all children between 6 and 59 months of age and to smokers.

A patient receives a dose of the combined vaccine against covid-19 and flu at the Alameda de Osuna Health Center in Madrid last year. EFE/Sergio Pérez

Epidemiologists assure that both vaccines can be administered at the same time, as long as it is done in different anatomical places, since side effects do not increase and, in this way, the immunization of people who are candidates to receive both vaccines is facilitated.

Adapted vaccines

The scientific society remembers that covid-19 continues to cause cases of serious illness that require hospitalization and that can even cause death in certain people.

In addition, remember the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to administer vaccines made from the XBB subvariant of the Ómicron strain (adapted vaccines) in this campaign.

This is because Covid-19 continues to evolve, and vaccines made from the original strain (Wuhan) now have a very low protective capacity against the new variants.

Adequate doses against covid

In people five years of age or older, a single dose of the adapted vaccine is sufficient to generate protection, regardless of whether other injections of the serum have been previously received or whether the disease has been suffered.

However, pediatric patients with immunosuppression may require additional doses, and in children between six months and eight years the regimen is two injections separated by a minimum period of four weeks if they have not been previously vaccinated.

A woman receives the flu vaccine at a residence in Granada. EFE/Miguel Ángel Molina

Furthermore, if a person has received a vaccine against Covid-19 or has recently suffered from the infection, an adapted vaccine cannot be administered for three months.

Children under 60 at risk

The SEE recommends getting vaccinated against Covid-19 for people with diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity, chronic cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, kidney, liver, inflammatory, blood or neuromuscular diseases.

Also those who suffer from immunosuppression, cancer, cerebrospinal fluid fistula, cochlear implant, celiac disease, and cognitive dysfunction.

A single dose against the flu

A single dose of the flu vaccine is enough to be protected, although children aged 6 months to 8 years with risk conditions who have not received the vaccine should receive two injections separated by an interval of at least 4 weeks. .

A man receives a vaccine, in a residence. EFE/Javier Belver

In addition to children between 6 and 59 months and smokers, the SEE encourages people between 5 and 18 years of age who receive prolonged treatment with acetylsalicylic acid to be vaccinated against influenza, due to the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome, and students in practices in health and social health centers.

It is also convenient for people with occupational exposure to animals or their secretions on farms, poultry, swine, mink or wildlife farms.

2023-10-02 13:09:02
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