According to the latest findings from the Vacinómetro initiative, run by the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology and the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine (APMGF), 74.9% of individuals over 80 years have received the flu vaccine, with 70.7% of those with chronic conditions following suit.
The data indicates an increase in the vaccination rate among healthcare professionals, rising to 41.5% compared to 32.8% in the previous round.
Nuno Jacinto, president of APMGF, commented on this outcome: “The increase in healthcare workers getting vaccinated is a positive result. It’s significant. Professionals have understood this message; they must vaccinate because they are also at risk, play a role in transmission, and need to set an example.”
He acknowledged that one contributing factor to this rise might be the alert from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which recently urged EU countries to quicken vaccination efforts as flu cases were unusually and prematurely increasing with a new strain.
Nonetheless, Jacinto suggested that moving away from the pandemic might be reducing vaccine fatigue, thereby increasing vaccination rates.
“As we move further from the pandemic, it reduces vaccine fatigue, especially among professionals who are once again viewing the flu vaccine with the importance it deserves,” he noted.
Concerning the high-dose vaccine, offered free to those aged 85 and above, 80.3% of the studied population has been vaccinated, though about half of respondents (53.2%) were unaware of the high-dose vaccine’s availability for those over 85.
The data also shows that 64.9% of individuals aged 65 and over have been vaccinated against the flu.
Nearly half (49.8%) of pregnant women have also received the flu vaccine, with 90.2% doing so on a doctor’s recommendation.
Among those aged 60 to 64, 42.4% have been vaccinated, with more than half (53.6%) doing so on their own initiative.
Of the vaccinated individuals with chronic illnesses, 74.3% with respiratory disease have been vaccinated, the same rate applies to 70.9% of those with cardiovascular disease and diabetics.
Jacinto emphasized the importance of family doctors in monitoring patients, with over 37% of vaccinations being on their recommendation.
“While other colleagues and specialists also make this recommendation, many patients are mainly monitored by family doctors, not hospital counterparts,” he stated.
Nuno Jacinto expressed uncertainty about whether the issues with the availability of high-dose flu vaccines for those 85 and older have fully resolved, noting that the flu season is ongoing.
“We still have time to address possible delays due to stock shortages or distribution errors,” he added.
Regarding preferred venues for obtaining the vaccine, all healthcare professionals surveyed were vaccinated at work, 57.5% of the general population received the vaccine free at health centers, and 34.1% got it free at pharmacies.
For children aged 6 to 24 months, now eligible for free vaccination, 34.2% have been vaccinated against the flu.
More than half of those vaccinated (57.1%) chose to co-administer the flu vaccine with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Launched in 2009, the Vacinómetro allows real-time monitoring of flu vaccination coverage among priority groups recommended by the Directorate-General of Health (DGS).
