Portugal vaccinates over half a million against flu in first 12 days
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Portugal’s Directorate-General of Health (DGS) reported that more than 507,000 people received flu vaccinations within the first 12 days of the seasonal campaign, starting September 30th.
The majority of these vaccinations, 304,448, took place in pharmacies participating in the program, with the remaining 203,017 administered at National Health Service (SNS) facilities. Over 452,000 people aged 60 and over have been vaccinated, achieving 13.8% coverage within that age group. Vaccination coverage for those 85 and older reached 14.7%.
The DGS began using updated annual population estimates from the National Statistics Institute to calculate vaccination coverage rates for both flu and Covid-19, ensuring alignment with official national statistics. This year’s campaign includes an expansion of free vaccinations to children between 2 and 4 years old. The SNS procured approximately 2.3 million standard-dose flu vaccines and an additional 369,000 high-dose vaccines.
For Covid-19, 229,043 people have received a booster dose, with coverage rates lower than those for the flu across all age groups. Over 800 pharmacies are now using new technology from Sword, a Portuguese company, to address vaccine hesitancy and simplify appointment scheduling using artificial intelligence.
