The National Day of Vaccination for the Elderly (Jornada Nacional de Vacunación del Adulto Mayor) will be held from 13 to 30 November 2019. The plan is to provide flu shots (pneumococcus and influenza) to adults over 65 years of age throughout the country. The Ministry of Public Health (MSP), the National Health Service (SNS) and the government health insurance Senasa announced plans to vaccinate more than 100,000 seniors.
The announcement is made on occasion of the celebration of World Pneumonia Day on 12 November 2019. The vaccines will be available for free at senior homes, public hospitals and vaccination centers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that pneumococcus causes 40-60% of pneumonia in the elderly. In the case of Influenza, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 70-90% of influenza-related deaths occurred in people over 65, and 50-70% of hospitalizations occurred in this same age group.
Read more in Spanish:
N Digital
12 November 2019