The government urges the elderly to have a flu jab

THE Balearics came fifth down the list of Spain's autonomous regions for the number of people over the age of 65 who failed to have flu injections in spite of last year's vaccination campaign. The ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs confirmed yesterday that 2004*s statistics for the Balearics were lower only than those for the Canary Islands, Aragaon, Galicia and Navarra. In total, 88'027 people over the age of 65 were vaccinated against the flu last year in the Balearics, a figure which represents 64.7 percent of the age group in the region. On the eve of this year's flu vaccination campaign, the central government ministry for Health and Consumer Affairs said that the results for the Islands in 2004 were lower than the national average which stood at 68.7 percent. Although its Balearic counterpart has not yet initiated its 2005 flu jab programme, central government recommended that all those falling within this upper age group should have the vaccination to avoid illness and other health complications. The advice was not only directed at those with chronic illnesses but also at professional health workers of all ages.