The annual flu vaccination campaign begins tomorrow with 1.4 million doses available in Andalucia. These vaccines will be dispensed in health centres and the priority groups to be immunized against the flu virus are those aged over 65, the chronically ill, morbidly obese, pregnant women, health service personnel and those serving the public.
People in the priority groups will be called in to be vaccinated by their family doctors to avoid excessive crowds at the health centres.
The vaccine is effective against H1N1 as well as the regular A and B strains of the flu virus. The cost of the vaccination programme is in the region of €8.3 million.
Andalucia is one of the regions in Europe with the best programmes against the flu virus and this reduces the need for hospitalisations by between 50% and 60% and reduces the death rate from complications as a result of the disease by about 80% according to the Ministry of Health.
Last year, 89 people died in Andalucia as a result of complications caused by the disease.