Joint Covid-flu vaccine campaign finally underway in Alicante province

The health authorities in Alicante began offering joint jabs to over 70s and pregnant women on Monday October 17

Whilst many health authorities in Spain began offering simultaneous Covid and flu vaccines at the beginning of the month, the Valencia regional Ministry of Health decided against bringing the date forward, contrary to the advice of experts, and stuck to its original plan of administering the joint jabs to over 70s and pregnant women from October 17.

Minister Miguel justified the controversial decision not to advance immunisation by stressing that the influenza season always begins at the end of October or the beginning of November, “because that is when the respiratory viruses are at their peak”.

However, with epidemiologists predicting that the incidence of influenza and coronavirus will increase in the coming weeks, the joint vaccination campaign is now finally underway; an immunisation plan that will be carried out in a staggered manner and will remain active until the end of next January 2023, at least.

Also read: Eighth Covid wave approaches: Spain pandemic update October 18

In this first phase, in addition to the over 80s who will be prioritised, joint vaccinations will also be administered to the over 70s, elderly in residences and people with functional diversity, as well as staff at these centers and health and social-health personnel.

The campaign will then continue with vaccinations for those aged between 65 and 69-years-old. In addition, simultaneous jabs will be offered to people, regardless of their age, who suffer from risk pathologies (people with chronic cardiovascular, neurological or respiratory diseases, as well as people with diabetes mellitus, morbid obesity, neoplasms, cochlear implant, celiac disease or chronic inflammatory disease, amongst others).

With concern growing over a possible coincidence of a flu and Covid epidemic wave, primary care physicians in Alicante have also asked the Ministry of Health to make rapid influenza and coronavirus tests available at health centres.

The doctors are calling for the tests to "speed up diagnosis" and avoid "the collapse of consultations due to an increase in the number of cases of both viral infections".

President of the Official College of Physicians, Hermann Schwarz, explained: "If the waves of Covid-19 and influenza overlap this autumn-winter there will once again be difficulties both in hospitals and in consultations. This year the influenza infection could arrive with force after two years of absence due to the measures of social distancing and the use of masks.

"We don't currently have tests for both in health centres, so we can't know if someone coming in has one disease or the other because the symptoms are similar," he added.

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Image: GVA Sanitat