The main objective of this initiative is to achieve 60% child coverage against the flu. The Minister of Health, Antonio Gómez Caamaño, and the Minister of Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training, Román Rodríguez, accompanied by the territorial delegate of the Xunta in A Coruña, Belén do Campo, and the Director General of Public Health, Carmen Durán, attended the start of the campaign at the Fontiñas Children and Primary Education Center in Santiago de Compostela.
Gómez Caamaño highlighted the expansion of the pilot project, which this year includes 20 more schools and 7,500 additional schoolchildren compared to last year. The goal is to reach at least 60% flu coverage in the child population, aged 6 months to 11 years, which stood at 54% in the last campaign. The school pilot, aimed at children aged 3 to 11, has already vaccinated 9,668 children in 55 schools, with coverage close to 51%.
In addition to the school pilot project, today also marked the start of vaccination for all children over 2 years old in health centers, who also receive the intranasal vaccine without the need for a needle.
The ministers thanked families for their involvement in protecting children's health, as well as the work of the nursing teams from the Galician Health Service and the collaboration of the schools. They emphasized that this project facilitates family work-life balance by avoiding trips to health centers.
The general vaccination campaign against flu and COVID began on September 28 in nursing homes and sociosanitary centers. Starting next Monday, October 19, it will extend to people aged 70 or over and healthcare professionals. Subsequently, on November 2, pregnant women will be vaccinated, and on November 9, people over 60.
The 75 schools participating this year are distributed across different health areas. In the A Coruña and Cee area, 12 centers are involved, including schools in A Coruña, Arteixo, Betanzos, Carballo, Culleredo, Fisterra, and Oleiros. In the Ferrol area, four schools are participating. The Santiago de Compostela and Barbanza area has 14 participating centers, including several in Santiago, Ames, Arzúa, Lalín, Negreira, Ordes, Oroso, Santa Comba, Silleda, and A Estrada.
In the health area of Lugo, A Mariña, and Monforte de Lemos, 12 schools are participating, located in Lugo, Burela, Chantada, Cospeito, Friol, Guitiriz, Monforte de Lemos, Monterroso, Sarria, Vilalba, and Viveiro. The Ourense, Verín, and O Barco de Valdeorras area includes 13 participating schools in Ourense, A Rúa, Allariz, Coles, Maside, Carballiño, Pereiro de Aguiar, Verín, and Xinzo de Limia.
Finally, in the health area of Pontevedra and O Salnés, nine schools are participating in Pontevedra, Illa de Arousa, Cambados, Marín, and Vilagarcía de Arousa. In the Vigo health area, 11 educational centers are involved, located in Vigo, Moaña, Mos, O Rosal, Salceda de Caselas, and Salvaterra de Miño.
