Flu campaign mainly aimed at groups “at risk”on the islands

PALMA
THE Balearic Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs will distribute 175'000 doses of vaccine during their flu vaccination campaign, which started yesterday and will continue until November 30.

This was announced by the Balearic Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs, Vicenç Thomas, accompanied by the director general of the Public Health department, Margalida Buades, and the medical director of the Primary Care Management team, Amalia Gomez.

The Balearic health service will this year distribute 147'000 doses of the vaccine on Majorca, 18'000 on Ibiza and Formentera, and 10'000 on Minorca.
The objective, as specified by Thomas, is to give “most of the vaccinations to groups with the highest risk factor, so as to reduce cases of flu”. The cost of the vaccinations is 960'500 euros.

During last year's campaign, 145'026 citizens on the islands were vaccinated. Of these, 115'000 were in the “at risk” groups and 3'000 people not in any “at risk” group also had the vaccine.

In total, 119'220 people were vaccinated on Majorca, 16'059 on Ibiza and Formentera, and 9'747 on Minorca. In 2006 some 63 percent of the population over 65 years old had the vaccine (88'128 people).

The figures for the last campaign, said the Minister, shows a progressive increase in the number of people who are “getting the message about the necessity to be vaccinated against flu”, and the objective this year is to “maintain the high numbers of the last few years”.

Buades explained that the “flu watch” started on October 1 and it consisting of 33 doctors, 26 of whom are family doctors and seven are paediatricians. Their mission is to inform the Public Health department of any cases of flu found in their patients, so that the necessary preventative measures can be applied.