The data was provided by the Chubut Ministry of Health, after carrying out multiple activities in locations throughout the province during the “Vaccination Week in the Americas 2024.” The initiative was regional in nature and promoted by the Pan American Health Organization between April 20 and 27..
The provincial Health Secretariat reported that so far a total of 41,561 doses of the flu vaccine have been administered to people included in the risk groups throughout the province, with the aim of reducing complications, hospitalizations, sequelae and deaths caused by influenza virus infection in the population.
The data was provided this Monday by the Provincial Directorate of Prevalent Pathologies and Epidemiology, after carrying out multiple activities in localities throughout the province during the “Vaccination Week in the Americas 2024”, the regional initiative promoted by the Pan American Organization. of Health (PAHO) that took place from April 20 to 27 under the slogan “Act now to protect your future. #GetVaccinated.”
Risk groups
Flu vaccination is aimed at the following risk groups: health personnel; pregnant people, in each pregnancy and in any trimester of pregnancy; postpartum people, until discharge from the maternity hospital, with a maximum of 10 days, if they did not receive the vaccine during pregnancy; and boys and girls from 6 to 24 months of age.
As well as people between 2 and 64 years old who have risk factors, who must present documentation proving them, except in the case of obesity; and people aged 65 and over, who do not require medical indication to receive the vaccine.
Strategic personnel whose performance is key to maintaining essential functions are also contemplated, for example, the State security forces.
It is worth remembering that the official launch of the “Flu Vaccination 2024” campaign was led on March 21 by the head of the Chubut health ministry, Sergio Wisky, at the “Santa Teresita” Subzonal Hospital in Rawson.
Timely vaccination, before the beginning of winter
In this regard, the provincial representative of the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI), Daniela Carreras, pointed out that “the flu vaccination must be carried out in a timely manner, before the beginning of winter, the stage of greatest circulation of the influenza virus,” and highlighted that it also It is “an opportunity for health teams to offer the community other vaccines available in the National Vaccination Calendar and recover delayed schedules.”
Some of the vaccines that, depending on each risk group, health teams can apply along with the flu are vaccines against Pneumococcus, Whooping Cough, Covid-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and the Acellular Triple Bacterial vaccine, he specified.
Thanks to the health teams of Chubut
In addition, Carreras thanked and valued the work of the health teams throughout the province, which during the “Vaccination Week in the Americas 2024” carried out various expanded and on-the-ground vaccination activities, not only in the cities of Comodoro. Rivadavia, Trelew, Puerto Madryn, Esquel and Rawson, but also in all towns in the interior of the province, to facilitate the population’s access to immunization against different diseases.
*Global public health challenge*
Influenza remains one of the world’s biggest public health challenges. According to international statistics, it is estimated that each year there are 1 billion cases worldwide, between 3 and 5 million severe cases, and between 290,000 and 650,000 respiratory deaths related to influenza.
Seasonal flu vaccines have been used for more than 60 years and immunize against the three most prevalent circulating strains each year. In this sense, vaccination is the best way to reduce the probability of suffering from severe flu and spreading it to others. Avoiding the flu means avoiding added health care costs and lost income from not going to work or school.
It should be noted that flu vaccination is available, free of charge, for people included in the risk groups in the 140 vaccination centers in the province.
