MADRID – In Spain, various target risk groups are being vaccinated earlier than their peers. Minister of Health, Darias made this announcement on Thursday. As a result, these people will be vaccinated just after the over 80s at the same time as 70-79 year olds.
At the end of February, we reported that Spain announced it would change its vaccination strategy for the fourth time. Furthermore, an addition to this change was announced on Thursday by the Spanish Minister of Health. As such people from the risk groups will be vaccinated at the same time as those aged 70-79 years. Resulting in many of those in the at risk category, the people will be a lot younger.
Target groups run a higher risk with corona contamination
This has everything to do with existing health conditions these people have which moves them to a higher risk category. The at risk target groups to be vaccinated are as follows;
- People dependent on stem cell transplantation (leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma)
- People who have undergone or are on a waiting list for a transplant of solid organs (kidneys, liver, heart, pancreas or lungs)
- Patients on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
- Cancer patients who are currently receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy
- People with Down´s syndrome who are over 40 years old
The Ministry of Health made this announcement on Thursday after approval of the Public Health Committee. Furthermore, as these people are considered at risk, to protect them, they should be vaccinated earlier than their peers.
Many autonomous regions in Spain are currently vaccinating the over-80s. The aforementioned risk group plus the 70 to 79 year olds will be next to receive a vaccine.
“Controversial” AstraZeneca batch already administered in Spain
Yesterday it was announced that several countries have stopped vaccination with the drug AstraZeneca due to various cases of thrombosis. Despite the fact that Spain continues to vaccinate, Minister Darías of Health announced on Friday the AstraZeneca batch that has been stopped by several Northern European countries has already been administered to people in Spain.
In an interview with the channel RNE, Darias calls for calm as the EMA has not yet discovered a causal link between this party of AstraZeneca and thrombosis.
