The seasonal flu vaccine will begin to be given free of charge from Monday, October 17, 2022, to people over 55 years of age and vulnerable people from all health centers and from -scheduled events.
This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne who gave a list of the people who will be given priority in this program, who are people with chronic respiratory, heart, liver, kidneys, diabetes, immunosuppressed people, pregnant women, and people working in the health fields and in institutions.
Chris Fearne added that from Saturday, 22 October 2022, children over six months will start being vaccinated, where there will be dedicated sessions for them every weekend. He explained that children over two years of age can avoid the vaccination and instead take a nasal spray against the flu. He went on to explain that from Monday, 31 October 2022, the vaccination program will be opened to the rest of the population.
The Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne explained that the flu vaccine that will be offered to the public this year directly affects the type of flu that is expected to predominate in the winter months and will therefore be very effective in order to relieves the symptoms of the flu which can be severe and even lead to the need for hospitalisation.
He recalled that in the past years, many more people resorted to the flu vaccine, with over one hundred and eighty thousand vaccines given in 2020 and one hundred and seventeen thousand vaccines in 2021. Therefore, the health authorities, this year, bought one hundred and thirty-two thousand doses of the vaccine, of which seventeen thousand are nasal spray for children. He explained how preparations are also underway at Mater Dei Hospital, and renovation projects at Boffa Hospital so that the health system is ready for an increase in hospitalized patients in the winter months.
Chris Fearne also announced that a vaccine booster against the Omicron targeting the Omicron variant will be offered. He encouraged all people over 55 and vulnerable people to resort to this booster, which can be taken at the same time as the flu vaccine.
The Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci joined in the same appeal, explaining that this year, the international health community noticed that the flu season started earlier than usual. She emphasized how for every hundred people who go to the doctor, eight of them have flu-like symptoms.
