The Community of Madrid will begin this Monday the second phase of flu vaccination, which for the first time includes children between 6 months and 5 years old, with a potential population of 250,175 children.
The frequency of this disease in this group is very high, between three and four times higher than in adults, and they also release a greater amount of virus over a longer period of time and are important transmitters, the regional government has indicated in a statement. release.
This immunization coincides with the simultaneous vaccination against influenza and Covid-19, through booster inoculation, to those over 60 years of age and risk groups of any age, such as chronically ill patients and pregnant women. In the first week of the first phase, focused on people over 65 years of age and the health and social health professionals who care for them, a total of 232,442 doses have been administered.
Specifically, between October 16 and 29, 133,754 were inoculated against flu and 98,688 were inoculated to avoid contracting the coronavirus, according to figures provided by the regional Executive.
Within the framework of the campaign coordinated by the General Directorate of Public Health, whose budget amounts to 19 million euros, 1.6 million doses against the flu have been acquired, 100,000 more than those used in 2022, as well as 28,000 vials of intranasal application that children who are 4 years old or who will turn 4 years old in 2023 (born in 2019) and who are not immunosuppressed will receive.
To receive this service in the public primary care network, the user has to make an appointment with the nursing staff. To do this you have several options: in person, at the health center; calling the latter's phone number and indicating option 3; through the Cita Sanitaria 'app', or on the website of the Community of Madrid.
Also at the Vaccination Center of the Community of Madrid, located at number 15 General Oraá Street in the capital; public hospitals of the Madrid Health Service (risk patients); occupational health services from health centers, and resources from the Health area of Madrid City Council.
The regional Executive also has the collaboration of the Official College of Physicians of Madrid to inoculate health professionals and with the Enfermera Isabel Zendal public hospital for all people who need to be protected from Covid-19, including mutual members.
The defense against this virus will be carried out with injectable drugs adapted to the new Ómicron variants (XBB1.5), following international and national recommendations.
To raise awareness among the population of the need to take this protection measure, the Ministry of Health is distributing posters and information leaflets in health centers, with messages reinforced through radio spots and advertisements in the press, television and media.
On the other hand, also starting this Monday, the Community of Madrid will begin actively recruiting smokers, through SMS messages, to offer them prevention against the disease caused by the influenza virus.
The suitability of this measure is explained because they are considered a target audience of special interest to be immunized due to their health conditions.
