Navarra’s Departamento de Salud will begin its joint vaccination campaign against Influenza and Covid-19. According to the regional government, appointments will be staggered. The Servicio Navarro de Salud-Osasunbidea will send SMS invitations to people for whom vaccination is specifically recommended. Priority will go to people aged 80 and over, children aged 6 to 59 months, and pregnant women. The campaign was announced on 5 October.
The health authorities point to the established phased approach at the start of the season: first, older people, residents of care homes and disability facilities, and people at increased risk of severe illness will be invited. Further age and occupational groups will follow, including health and social care staff. Appointments are made through the usual Servicio Navarro de Salud-Osasunbidea channels; the SMS messages indicate when booking becomes available.
The combined vaccination strategy aims to ease pressure on hospitals and GP surgeries during the autumn and winter, when flu viruses and Sars-CoV-2 may circulate at the same time. The Departamento de Salud stresses that vaccination is recommended for pregnant women in every trimester. The recommendation also applies to young children aged 6 to 59 months, as they are at increased risk of complications. People with chronic conditions and residents of long-term care facilities are also specifically included.
For the precise order and any slight differences in start dates for individual groups, the regional government refers to its ongoing guidance. Such variations have been common in previous years, for example when care home residents or health service staff are given appointments in advance. This can lead to different dates being reported publicly, but does not change the official start of the general campaign in the third week of October.
The regional government initially gave no figures for expected vaccine availability or target uptake. The Servicio Navarro de Salud-Osasunbidea says that high vaccination coverage in facilities housing vulnerable people is a key objective. In practice, the individual appointment made available by SMS or through the booking system is what matters. Navarre With this decision, it is following the nationwide approach, under which seasonal flu vaccination is once again being combined with the Covid-19 booster.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).