Community pharmacies will be able to administer Covid-19 vaccines at the same time as flu vaccinations this fall, according to a ruling published this Thursday in Diário da República.
Seasonal influenza and Covid-19 vaccination campaign in public pharmacies for autumn-winter 2023-2024 comes into effect on Friday.
The ruling highlights the importance of maintaining a “high level of adherence” to influenza vaccination, as well as the importance of continuing to vaccinate against Covid-19.
The diploma recalls that influenza vaccination in community pharmacies was “faster”, which allowed “to achieve protection of the population in a shorter period of time”, in addition to the geographical distribution and opening hours of community pharmacies, they also facilitate the vaccination process. “user-friendly”.
Taking advantage of the experience gained during the pandemic in vaccination centers, “The Ministry of Health now intends to introduce this process into its structures, namely health centers, and extend it to community pharmacies,” the decree signed by the Minister of Health says.
Community pharmacies with a vaccine administration service, specialists who have received special training in vaccine administration and who have expressed a desire to participate in the campaign can participate in the seasonal vaccination campaign, the diploma determines.
“The order of pharmacists will cooperate with the services of the Ministry of Health in providing updated information on vaccines that will be approved for the autumn-winter seasonal vaccination of 2023-2024,” the decree says.
These pharmacies will be able to operate longer and the membership list will be available on the websites of the SNS, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) and Infarmed.
According to the resolution, the SRS will now issue technical guidelines governing the vaccination process, namely with the definition of vaccination criteria and eligible users.
In May of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the pandemic, but the European Commission continued to provide access to a vaccine adapted to SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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