SSa Invites the Population to Vaccinate Against Influenza

Mexico’s vaccination campaign against influenza will take place between Oct. 3, 2022, and March 3, 2023. All the medical units of the health sector will have vaccines available for the population. The government expects to apply over 33 million doses. For the beginning of the campaign, 10 million vaccines have been distributed to the states and 6 million more will be delivered this week. 

“It is better to get vaccinated in the first months of the season and not wait until the end, because protection is much more important during the winter season, when the risk of influenza begins,” said Ruy López, Director General, National Center for Preventive Programs and Disease Control (CENAPRECE), during Mexico’s President Daily Press Briefing. 

The Ministry of Health is focusing primarily on vaccinating those over 60 years old, children between six and 59 months old, health professionals, pregnant women and those among the general population that have health risks such as diabetes or hypertension. 

Every year, around 1 billion people get seasonal influenza and the threat of a pandemic is always present, as reported by WHO. “Another pandemic caused by a new influenza virus is a certainty. But we do not know when it will happen, what virus strain it will be and how severe the disease will be,” said Wenqing Zhang, Manager of the Global Influenza Program, WHO. 

Meanwhile, Mexico’s government is still focused on implementing strategies to continue facing the COVID-19 pandemic.  Today, Mexico received over 400,000 pediatric Pfizer vaccines. As of today, 134 Pfizer vaccine shipments have arrived in Mexico, delivering a total of over 70 million pediatric doses. The immunization of children from five to 11 years old is 49 percent completed. 

On March 3, 2022, COFEPRIS announced the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between five and 11 years old in emergency cases. The vaccine for children has different components from the adult one and requires only one dose, as reported by MBN. 

In the last 11 weeks, Mexico has reported a decrease in COVID-19 cases as 90 percent of the population over 18 years old is already vaccinated. Currently, Mexico is at its lowest point of contagion, hospitalization and deaths; each day an average of 616 cases and zero deaths are reported, according to the Ministry of Health. “The consecutive decrease is an example of the control of transmission at the community level,” said Jorge Alcocer, Mexico’s Minister of Health.