First warning of autumn: colds and other respiratory viruses are on the rise

BarcelonaThe data does not allow us to state that Catalonia has fully entered an epidemic of respiratory viruses, but it does show that cases are on the rise at a fairly high rate. The Information System for the Surveillance of Infections in Catalonia (Sivic) confirms that in the last week with updated information (from September 21 to 27) there were 44,000 affected people across the country, predominantly by rhinovirus. This represents a 26% increase compared to the previous week. "At the clinic, we are seeing an increase in cases, but the truth is that we are still at minimum levels of transmission. In adults, cold viruses are basically circulating," explains Jordi Mestres, a family doctor at the CAP Sanllehy in Barcelona and a member of the Catalan Society of Family and Community Medicine (Camfic).

However, after a few summer months in which some spikes were recorded, covid infections are on the decline, while flu infections remain at very low levels. In this case, experts are closely monitoring the possible behavior of the autumn and winter season, since in the southern hemisphere it has been marked by the circulation of new variants such as influenza A (H3N2). The Catalan health authorities called on Thursday for vaccination in a campaign that this year will start next Monday, October 5, and for which 120,000 people have already booked an appointment.

The Secretary of Public Health, Esteve Fernández, has predicted that it will be a campaign similar to the one two years ago, in which there may be infections, but a limited impact on hospitals. The Ministry of Health does not foresee the schedule being brought forward and having peaks ahead of time, as happened last year. However, Fernández admitted that the behavior of the viruses – especially covid – is still “unpredictable”.

The vaccination campaign against the flu and covid-19 will begin on October 5, a little later than usual (in recent years it had taken place around September 25) because the trivalent flu vaccine has undergone a change in composition and there has been a delay in the distribution of the products. According to the head of the Preventive Medicine Service of the Public Health Agency of Catalonia, Montse Martínez, there are "three new strains" and they had to "adapt", but "two weeks of delay have no impact on immunization and people's health".

Spontaneous immunization

The first to receive the dose will be the elderly living in care homes, those over 80 years old, pregnant women, children aged between 6 months and 4 years, and healthcare and social health personnel. Thus, it will be the second year that pregnant women and children are brought forward to the first phase; a change that last year had "a positive impact," according to the Department of Health.

The second phase will begin on October 26 with the opening, by appointment, of vaccination for the rest of the groups: the population over 60 years old, risk groups, and essential service professionals. The novelty, however, is found in the third phase: starting November 16, vaccination can be done without an appointment at primary care centers (CAP). Fernández has justified this decision by arguing that last year this measure “contributed to increasing coverage.”

In total, the Government has allocated 13 million euros to acquire 1.8 million doses against the flu and one million against covid. As coverage objectives, Fernández said they aspire to get closer to the figures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 75% in the targeted vaccinated population (over 65 years old) and to improve coverage among children up to 4 years old: from the current 43% to 60%.

Last season, a total of 1.5 million flu vaccine doses and 934,309 against covid were administered until March 15. This means that, against the flu, 112,517 more doses were administered compared to the previous season, and against covid, 16,913 fewer. A situation that the authorities have urged the risk population to reverse. The injections will be administered basically at the CAPs of Catalonia, although also in hospitals, CUAPs, and health centers.

The Secretary of Public Health has underlined that the objective is to concentrate the maximum vaccination activity between the start of the campaign and December 18, although, as every year, the vaccines will continue to be available at the centers until the end of the epidemiological calendar, approximately at the end of March. He also recalled that scheduling an appointment through La Meva Salut or the website citasalut.gencat.cat "is the most appropriate mechanism for all those people who want to get vaccinated," but that the option of opportunistic vaccination also exists, that is, when a user goes to the doctor or nurse for another reason and takes advantage of the visit to get immunized.