The health institution "Montefarm" announced a tender two days ago for the procurement of 21.600 doses of vaccine for the upcoming flu season, for which around 220.000 euros have been allocated.
Bids must be submitted by June 18th, and the delivery deadline is scheduled to be no longer than 45 days from the date of receipt of the request from "Montefarma".
In the current flu season that is ending, which began with surveillance from the end of September 2024, around 18.250 people were vaccinated, an increase compared to previous years.
According to data from the Institute of Public Health (IJZ), a year earlier, only 15.803 people were vaccinated, in the 2022/2023 season almost 17.000, and in the 2021/2022 season around 17.600 citizens.
The increase in vaccinated people this season can be linked to the IJZ campaign, which was launched in October with the aim of spreading and strengthening awareness of the importance of immunization as the most effective preventive measure in the fight against influenza-related illnesses and deaths.
Since the start of enhanced influenza surveillance, from the end of September to May 18, the Public Health Institute has laboratory-confirmed influenza infection in 824 people. In 444 people, infection with influenza type A virus was confirmed, while in 380 people, infections with influenza type B virus were registered.
During the same period, seven reports of deaths related to influenza virus infection were submitted to that institution.
The deceased were aged 87, 86, 83, 72, 64, 63, and 36, and had underlying medical conditions. None of the deceased, according to the Public Health Institute, had been vaccinated against seasonal flu.
Flu vaccination is recommended for all people over 65 years of age, chronically ill people over six months of age, pregnant women, children aged six months to five years, and people living in collectives such as nursing homes, where the seasonal virus is more often accompanied by complications of the disease and death.
In the same time period (since September 30th last year), 2 samples were tested for the presence of the SARS-CoV-19 virus, which causes COVID-7.038, of which 193 were positive.
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