Portugal is one of the few countries in the European Union in which there is no strategy related to vaccination in adulthood, which is why a team of experts published a document in Parliament with a set of recommendations to reinforce it. Something essential, when the evidence shows that this action will bring economic and health gains.
With the State Budget for 2025 under discussion, the multidisciplinary team – made up of more than 20 elements linked to various health segments in Portugal – defended greater investment and political attention in relation to this matter and called for greater action on the part of who decides, as well as health professionals and society in general, to adopt a proactive approach to adult vaccination.
are the estimated millions in direct or indirect costs to treat vaccine-preventable diseases, such as pneumococcal disease, influenza, HPV, Herpes Zoster (shingles) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
“Vaccination continues to be a priority for the DGS”, assured Rita Sá Machado, general director of health, reinforcing that “vaccination in adults is already part of the National Vaccination Program”, but that they are “making opinions and new proposals , to expand and broaden it based on the best scientific evidence”.
Luís Filipe Pereira, former Minister of Health, praised the role of prevention during the session presenting the recommendations of the + Longevity project, by NOVA IMS, which has the support of GSK, to which SIC Notícias is associated as media partner. “Prevention is one of the poorest aspects of health policies. Of the more than 15 billion we have for health, only one to two percent are spent on prevention, which leads me to conclude that we have an important area of intervention and investment here, in order to guarantee the protection of the population. ”, he defended.
“It is necessary to ensure equitable vaccination coverage of the target population, including the most vulnerable people who need to be immunized”, said, in turn, Francisco George, president of the Portuguese Society of Public Health and chairman of this project. The expert also added that “the State, which already finances multiple vaccination actions aimed at adults, both in vaccines provided free of charge to risk groups and in others that are reimbursed, will necessarily have to guarantee the development of vaccination in adults, through of the State Budget”. And he concluded: “It is known that the costs are offset by the results obtained by immunization”, such as “less hospitalization, fewer admissions to intensive care, and less expenses with medicines”.
“Of the more than €15 billion we have for health, only one to two percent are spent on prevention, which leads me to conclude that we have an important area of intervention and investment here”, argued Luís Filipe Pereira
Discover some of the recommendations made by the team of experts:
- Greater commitment and political attention to vaccination.
- Expansion of the National Vaccination Program, which would now include a vaccination schedule aimed at adults.
- Reinforcing the importance of vaccines among the older and vulnerable population.
- Optimization of vaccination coverage in adults by identifying check-up points.
- Raise awareness and encourage vaccination within and outside the healthcare network.
- Encourage greater capacity of the health system to respond to vaccination challenges (with reinforcement of Community Care Units and Public Health Units) in the context of the primary care network.
- Define new evaluation and public financing models.
- Reinforcement of cooperation between Infarmed and the General Directorate of Health in the evaluation of each vaccine.
- Align action strategies according to the needs of different population groups.
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