Government aims to see “more people vaccinated by end November”
The government will be spending €7.6 million on Covid-19 and flu vaccinations in pharmacies this winter, and wants to have more people vaccinated by the end of November, according to an order published in the Diário da República today.
The decree, signed by secretary of state for health Ana Porto, says that, in addition to the purchase of vaccines, “a budgetary impact of up to €7,600,000 is foreseen, corresponding to the remuneration that, in total, will be paid to pharmacies“, emphasising the aim of “ensuring high standards of efficiency and effectiveness“.
“Based on the evidence, which informs us of the greater circulation of respiratory viruses in the winter months, it is intended to start the autumn-winter 2024-2025 seasonal vaccination campaign earlier and to ensure that the largest number of eligible people will be protected by the end of November, providing higher protection during the period of greatest risk”, the decree reads.
The decree praises the flu vaccination process in pharmacies, noting that “they have contributed very positively to vaccination taking place more quickly, which has made it possible to achieve population protection in a shorter time”.
The government’s Health Emergency and Transformation Plan, presented last May, includes the reinforcement of the seasonal vaccination campaign against flu and COVID-19 this autumn and winter.
To this end, the decree provides for “extending the availability of the high-dose flu vaccine, free of charge, to people aged 85 and over, while also ensuring that this high-dose vaccine will be administered to all people living in residential facilities for the elderly”.
Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) no longer considers COVID-19 an international public health emergency, the government’s decree recalls that the European Commission continues to ensure simultaneous access to the vaccine in its member states and reiterates that the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) maintains the indication for vaccination adapted to the strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“Vaccination against influenza and Covid-19 is an extremely important public health intervention to prevent transmission, to reduce morbidity and mortality in those most at risk and to allow the health system to manage the pressures of winter, helping to reduce demand for health care and the likelihood of hospitalisation,’ the decree points out.
The decree comes into force tomorrow (Thursday).
Source: LUSA
