The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has urged EU countries to expedite vaccinations as flu cases are emerging three to four weeks earlier, driven by a new strain of influenza A (H3N2), subtype K.
Commenting on this ECDC warning, Portugal’s Director-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado, noted that there is already an increase in cases, as indicated by sentinel indicators in Portugal, such as the number of patients visiting emergency services for flu syndrome episodes.
“We are already seeing an increase, but not very quickly, which means that we expect our flu epidemic to start earlier, as we are seeing in other European countries,” she emphasized.
Regarding flu vaccination, Rita Sá Machado stated that the vaccination rate this year is “very similar” to previous seasons, with approximately two million people vaccinated since September 23.
However, she stressed, “it is still not enough” to achieve “good coverage” of those eligible for vaccination, warning that “the next two weeks are essential for vaccinating those who have not yet been vaccinated.”
The Director-General explained that from that point, Portugal will start to see the epidemic or “the indicators grow at a faster pace” and the population needs to be protected.
“Therefore, vaccination in the next two weeks really needs to occur at a faster pace than we have seen over the past few weeks,” she asserted.
Concerning the new strain of flu A (H3N2 K), subtype K, she clarified that it was not the predominant strain last season nor in the Southern Hemisphere, so this year’s vaccine does not predominately target this strain. However, she emphasized that the vaccine remains crucial as it still provides some protection.
“Of course, it would be ideal to have the exact circulating strain, but other strains will circulate, so it’s very important for people to get vaccinated,” she insisted.
Rita Sá Machado highlighted that the protection provided by the vaccine is important for reducing disease complications and the burden on health services.
When asked about occasional vaccine shortages, she assured that there are no access difficulties at local health units for the eligible population (over 60 years, chronic patients, pregnant women, and children between six months and five years).
She also noted that those wanting to be vaccinated but are not in the eligible population can be evaluated by a doctor who can prescribe the flu vaccine.
“There are 3,500 vaccination points across the country, and vaccination is a major tool we have,” she said, also recommending good prevention practices “already established during the pandemic,” such as handwashing, respiratory etiquette, and space ventilation.
She also recommended the use of surgical masks for those showing any symptoms.
According to the ECDC, in a typical season, flu causes substantial morbidity in the European population, with up to 50 million symptomatic cases and 15,000 to 70,000 deaths each year.
Portugal recorded 1,609 excess deaths during the flu epidemic from December 2024 to January 2025, a period coinciding with the flu epidemic and extreme temperatures, affecting mainly women and individuals over 85 years.
