The "grown-ups" also get vaccinated: this is the unique vaccination schedule

All our lives we have heard about the famous “Children's Vaccination Schedule”. A few years ago, the Ministry of Health began to worry because the name of the calendar made older people see vaccination as something very distant.. Since 2019, like the single ring, we have a “single vaccination schedule”, for children and adults. It's called Common Calendar for Life.

News on the calendar in 2023

On the one hand we have good news for the pockets of parents and future parents: the menincoccus B vaccine is now given along with the rest of the vaccines at 2, 4 and 12 months. And not only in children, but this vaccine will also be administered to risk groups, which is very good news.

On the other hand, these are the three big bombs of the season.

• The shingles vaccine is included for older people.
• The HPV human papillomavirus vaccine is included in children at age twelve (previously only girls were systematically vaccinated).
• And finally, the big news, which is the recommendation for flu vaccination from 6 months to 5 years.

Flu vaccination in children, but wasn't this for older people?

For older people…. and also for little ones. In fact, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics had already recommended in previous years that children be vaccinated. Last year there were three pilot tests in three communities: Andalusia, Galicia and Murcia where between 40-50% of the target population was vaccinated.

Of course, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a compromised immune system remain at risk groups, but children are also easy targets for the virus.. As data:

• 40% of children are infected with the flu each year, of which between 5% and 12% will have complications and of these, some (although very few) will be serious.
• Two thirds of admissions due to flu correspond to minors who were healthy before the infection. That is to say, it is not that the virus is just going to go after at-risk children: it goes after everyone (and everyone).
• The flu causes between 20 or 30 deaths of children annually in Spain. The figures are important from 6 months onwards.

Does vaccinating children protect the elderly?

It is true that children are good transmitters of the virus and that vaccinating them works as a good firewall in the chain of transmission.. But we must not make the mistake of thinking that when we vaccinate them we are “using” them so as not to infect the grandparents.. No. We vaccinate them mainly to protect them and, by the way, look how good, we prevent them from infecting other people.. But the main thing is that they have a benefit.

Second novelty: vaccine against herpes zoster

People between 65 and 80 years old can (and should) be vaccinated against herpes zoster, the famous “shingles.”. People in this age group can make a medical appointment. Ah! And if you are not 65 years old but belong to a risk group, this vaccine is also indicated. .

Third novelty: vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV)

It is great news that 12-year-old children are finally vaccinated. For many years it has been thought that HPV was only a thing for girls and it was something very unfair, first for boys, but also for girls because if they protect themselves, they are also more protected.

What is the risk for children of contracting HPV?

This vaccine directly protects children from developing cancers related to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection such as cancer of the oropharynx (part of the throat behind the oral cavity), penis and anus.. Oral and oropharyngeal cancer is among the ten most diagnosed in Spain with about 8,000 new cases annually.

Last year, the Spanish Pediatric Association promoted a decalogue that indicates the reasons for recommending vaccination against HPV in men.. Among them, there is a very significant percentage of cancers related to HPV in men, that head and neck cancer and anal cancer are on the rise, especially in men, and that they are related to HPV.

Does vaccination really help?

Yes, because just vaccinating girls does not sufficiently protect boys (and vice versa, if you vaccinate boys you protect girls more). It has been seen that vaccination has an impact on genital warts in men. I know this sounds terrible, but having it is much worse. So if your child is 12 years old, you are in luck.. And if you are over 12, it is also advisable to administer it but remember that for this it will be necessary to request a prescription and buy it at the pharmacy.

Latest news: vaccine against bronchiolitis

In 2023 we have among us a new vaccine that is somewhat different from the usual ones: the vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus, the “author” of bronchiolitis. The Vaccine Advisory Committee is in favor of applying it to all children under six months and in risk groups up to two years of age, although for now it will not be done in all autonomous communities.. The protocol states that children born from April to September receive a dose in October at the health center, and if they are born from October to March, a dose in the hospital before discharge.

Can you buy the bronchiolitis vaccine at the pharmacy?

No, as it is a medication classified as hospital-dispensing, it cannot be purchased in pharmacies; it will only be available in health centers.

What do we know about the Covid vaccine?

Coinciding with the start of the flu vaccination campaign, the third booster dose against Covid-19 will also begin to be administered for risk groups.. That is, for people over 60 years of age, chronically ill people and social-health personnel.. The report with the 'Vaccination recommendations against flu and Covid-19 in the 2023-2024 season in Spain', published almost two months ago and carried out taking into account the epidemiological situation at that time, recommends vaccination against Covid-19 in the autumn-winter season (2023-2024) to the target population groups, and excludes the child and adult population that is not part of the target population.