A guide to who gets which vaccine

The vaccination campaign against covid already uses the four vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA): Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen, in order of arrival. The initial objective of the Ministry of Health was to administer the authorised vaccines regardless of brand name in a descending order: first the eldest and health professionals and, progressively, include younger age groups and essential groups.

However, the limited availability of doses and the temporary suspensions of use of AstraZeneca and Janssen due to their link with some "infrequent and very rare" cases of thrombosis, have forced an update to the strategy, sometimes weekly, and to vaccinate different age groups simultaneously.

How does the vaccination campaign work now? Who gets each of the vaccines?

Pfizer

It is the producer that sends most doses every week and in Catalonia it is administered at this point to seven groups simultaneously:

• Users and staff of care homes
• Health professionals
• Over-80s
• People aged between 70 and 79
• People aged between 50 and 59
• Dependent senior citizens

Moderna

At the moment it is mainly used in hospital environments, since it is an unstable vaccine when it comes to moving the vials after they have thawed.

• Health workers
• People who have received a transplant or are on a waiting list
• Oncology patients with solid tumors
• Patients on dialysis
• People with autoimmune diseases
• People with down syndrome

It has also been used to immunise Guardia Civil and Spanish National Police.

AstraZeneca

Marred by constant supply failures and its link to "rare and infrequent" cases of thrombosis the state only authorises its use for one age group:

• People aged between 60 and 69

It was also used to immunise 200,000 people in key groups, such as teachers, psychologists and police officers under the age of 55, who are now waiting to learn awaiting to know whether or not they will receive the second dose.

Janssen

It is the only single-dose vaccine - only one injection is needed - approved in Europe and, because of its characteristics, it can immunise different vulnerable groups:

• People aged between 70 and 79
• Some people between 60 and 69
• Under 60s (starting with the 50+ age group)
• People with disability
• People with severe autism
• People with severe mental illness
• The homeless
• Seasonal workers, especially fruit-pickers
• Immigrants in an irregular administrative situation
• Seafarers
• Aid workers on missions in high-risk countries