By Andrea Hargraves 
The 23rd National Influenza (Influenza) Vaccination Campaign for the general population, in Joao Pessoa, will be extended from next Monday (9). Until then, vaccination of priority groups already covered since the beginning of the campaign will continue.
The aim of the expansion is to ensure that the target of vaccine coverage is achieved for at least 90% of the already identified priority groups and to ensure more homogeneous coverage of the population as a whole.
Until next Monday, they can receive the immunizing agent:
- Pregnant women, postpartum women and children from six months to less than 5 years, 11 months and 29 days;
- health workers working in the hospital and specialized network; teachers;
- elderly people over 60 years of age;
- Persons with comorbidities.
- people with permanent disabilities;
- truck drivers;
- workers in mass road transport of passengers in cities and long distances;
- port workers;
- professionals from the security and rescue forces and the armed forces;
- employees of the system of deprivation of liberty; population deprived of their liberty;
- Adolescents and young adults in social and educational measures.
Made from an inactivated virus, the vaccine protects against three types of viruses that are most prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere: influenza A (H1N1), influenza B and influenza A (H3N2). There is a warning for those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19: these people must respect the 14-day period to take other vaccines in the vaccine calendar, including this campaign that prevents influenza.
Covid-19 and influenza: simultaneous vaccination
Which vaccine should have priority?
Both vaccinations are necessary and help prevent respiratory complications that require hospitalization and can lead to death. If you are part of the target audience for both campaigns at some point in the next few months, the Covid-19 vaccine should be prioritized.
But priority should not be confused with exclusivity: it is important to get a flu vaccination afterward, respecting the deadline set by experts, as you will see below.
Can I get the flu and Covid-19 vaccines together on the same day?
No. It is necessary to wait 15 days between one vaccine and another as directed by public health authorities. But what is the reason for this two-week break? Since research on this topic has not yet been conducted, the Ministry of Health has chosen caution to avoid any unexpected side effects or decrease in the efficacy of the fortifying agents.
Here are examples of how this scheme works in practice: You can take your first dose of Coronavac and wait 14 to 28 days to receive your second dose of the same vaccine. Then it is necessary to wait another two weeks to get the influenza vaccination (which requires only one dose to provide protection).
In the case of the immunizing agent AZD1222, from AstraZeneca and Oxford University, the order of vaccination changes, since the interval between the first and second dose is three months.
What is the importance of vaccination against these two diseases?
Both influenza and Covid-19 are diseases that affect the respiratory system, and can cause complications or sequelae and even kill. Therefore, from an individual point of view, vaccination reduces health risks.
From a collective perspective, vaccination is an attitude that protects the entire community, as it breaks the chains of transmission of the virus and prevents hospital and intensive care units from filling up.