More than 73% of Portuguese people aged 65 and over have received their flu vaccination this year. At the regional level, vaccinations are at 91.7%.
The data, released today, according to the 3rd wave of the Vaccinometer report, also reveals that most people were vaccinated on medical recommendation.
An initiative of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology (SPP) and the Portuguese Association of General and Family Medicine (APMGF), which since 2009 has been dedicated to monitoring in real time the rate of vaccination against influenza in priority groups, the report indicates that 73.4% of Portuguese aged 65 and over have already been vaccinated against influenza. A coverage rate that drops to 59.7% if the population aged 60 and over is taken into account.
Data from the 3rd wave of the Vaccinometer also show that coverage rates are above 70% among chronic patients, with 79.8% of patients with diabetes vaccinated and 71.6% of people with cardiovascular disease vaccinated.
However, if only those aged 60-64 are taken into account, the vaccination coverage rate is 38.3%.
Among health professionals, the total number of vaccinated people does not reach half, with a coverage rate of 43.9% among those who have direct contact with patients.
The report reveals that 40.2% of those vaccinated did so on medical recommendation, 49.3% on their own initiative, 5.8% because they were part of risk groups, and 3.9% because they were notified of an appointment by the National Health Service.
According to the data collected, 34% of chronically ill people intend to get vaccinated this flu season, and about 25% of people aged 65 and over have the same intention.
The Vaccinometer also points out that in the co-administration of the flu and Covid-19 vaccine, “77.5% of vaccinated people belonging to the recommended groups opted for co-administration.”
Among those who opted for co-administration, 78.4% did so because they felt safer and 13.8% because of a doctor’s recommendation.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
