The Community of Madrid has updated the Vaccination Calendar for life, with the incorporation of new immunizations that will improve “the protection of citizens’ health.” To achieve this, the regional Executive will invest more than 136 million euros this year.
Among the new features is the recommendation against rotavirus for all infants from 6 weeks of age, a campaign that will begin in the last quarter of this year. This germ causes diarrhea and vomiting and mainly affects babies and young children, who can suffer severe dehydration.
The Vaccination and Immunization Calendar for life 2024 also contemplates the extension, starting this month of May, of the defense against otitis and/or pneumonia caused by pneumococcus in children under 18 years of age, with an inoculation that acts against 15 varieties of this microorganism, the regional government has detailed in a statement.
It also involves the introduction of systematic immunization against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants under 6 months of age, after the success of the last campaign, in which hospitalizations of babies were reduced by 90% and hospitalizations by 65%. Consultations in Primary Care for bronchiolitis.
Another innovation is the change in the guideline to avoid contracting the human papillomavirus (HPV), going from three to two doses, which adds to the inclusion last year of systematic vaccination of all boys at 12 years of age. , an age group that is intended to be expanded in the second half of this year with the recruitment of up to more than 150,000 between 13 and 18 years old who have not been previously immunized.
On the other hand, the Calendar also includes protection against Covid-19 and flu in the autumn-winter campaign, and is aimed at people over 60 years of age, chronically ill people and other vulnerable groups.
For the second year, children between 6 and 59 months will also be able to benefit from flu treatment. Prevention against monkeypox is also incorporated, recommended for people who engage in risky sexual practices, professionals in environments where contagion may occur or who handle samples that may be contaminated. The complete regimen consists of two injections 28 days apart.
Last year, the Community of Madrid administered 4,565,371 doses of vaccines: 1,560,000 against influenza, 979,390 against Covid-19 and 45,000 against RSV in infants. The remaining, almost 2 million, correspond to others included in the Lifelong Calendar for Health Protection.
This service was provided in the 816 centers authorized for this Public Health program, including Primary Care devices and hospitals of the Madrid Health Service (SERMAS); the Vaccination Center of the Community of Madrid; Municipal Community Health Centers of the capital’s City Council and residences for the elderly.