Alex Trelinski
DOUBLE vaccinations against flu and Covid-19 started being dosed out in the Valencian Community on Monday, with age categories extended at both ends of the scale.
Children aged six years and under(through to six months) will be able to get a flu shot, while the age of seniors has been lowered from 65 to 60 years to get a double dose.
Other priority groups will continue to be people living in nursing homes, health and social health personnel, pregnant women, and others who have specific medical conditions.
It is also planned to vaccinate people aged 5 to 59 years who are at increased risk of complications from influenza.
This includes children between 5 and 18 years of age who are receiving prolonged treatment with aspirin, due to the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome; persons with direct occupational exposure to farm animals; and also cigarette smokers.
Valencian Health Minister, Marciano Gomez, said the object of the campaign is to ‘protect the most vulnerable population’.
“This involves the immunisation of more than 1,350,000 people and the administration of more than 2 million vaccine doses at 2,683 vaccination points, of which 417 are residential homes,” Gomez added.
Work has started in residential institutions, while people aged 80 and over will get both vaccines at their local health centre.
The programme will work its way down different age groups, and as in previous years phone text messages with appointment details will be sent out.
The aim for the 2023-2024 campaign is get at least of 75% of those aged over 65 years fully jabbed along with health and social health personnel, as well as to surpass 60% in pregnant women and people with other risk conditions.
The adjoining Murcia region started its push last week, and has made the same age range changes as Valencia.
The Covid-19 vaccine to be used will encompass the latest changes to deal with new Omricon variants that have been discovered this year.
