The Regional Ministry of Health and Families has launched a campaign in the province of Almeria to recruit children from 12 years of age for the reinforcement of vaccination against meningococcus and papillomavirus, and other doses, in cases where they are incomplete. More than 35,000 children will be called to complete the vaccination schedule in health centres and high schools in the afternoon.
The territorial delegate for Health and Families, Juan de la Cruz Belmonte, stressed the importance of vaccination in order to acquire maximum immunological protection in the production of defences against menigococcal and papilloma virus infection». Belmonte added that the vaccination status of children up to 18 years of age will also be reviewed for all the doses that correspond to them according to the current vaccination schedule, including the Coronavirus».
The meningococcal vaccine has already begun to be inoculated in those children who have not received the dose by the age of 10, with an estimated 16,000 children in the Almeria Health District, 14,525 in the Poniente Health District and around 7,000 in the North Health Management Area. On the other hand, the papillomavirus vaccine will be injected into girls aged 12 and over: 6,000 in the Almeria Health District; 5,072 in the Poniente Health District and 2,600 in the North Health Management Area.
The school nurse is the figure in charge of checking those cases that have not completed the vaccination indicated in the calendar, in order to avoid the diseases that can be caused by the different types of virus, as well as calling parents or guardians to proceed to provide the doses in the health centre of reference of the child, or in the educational centre. In the city of Almeria, children will also be called to the Palacio de los Juegos del Mediterráneo between 15:15 and 21:30 from Monday to Friday.
Meningococcal serogroups ACWY
Invasive meningococcal disease is an extremely serious pathology, with a mortality rate of 10% and up to 30% of sequelae (neurological, renal, amputations, etc.) among survivors, although in young children this percentage is even higher the younger the age at which the disease occurs. It is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis. More simply, it is known as meningococcus. There are several types (serogroups), such as: A, B, C, W, X and Y.
Vaccination recommendations:
At 12 years of age: (Persons turning 12 years of age on or after 1 January 2020): one dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Nimenrix). For females, this dose is given at the same time as the human papillomavirus vaccine.
Between 13 and 18 years of age (Rescue Vaccination): On 1 January 2020, a 3-year vaccination campaign begins with the population aged between 13 and 18 years (inclusive) with the meningococcal ACWY vaccine (Nimenrix). Thus, each year, for 3 consecutive years, people will be vaccinated as they turn 15 or 18 years of age. The planned end date of the campaign will be 31 December 2022. The aim of this campaign is to protect this population in an age group that is particularly vulnerable to this infection. To reduce the number of pharyngeal carriers and to optimise community protection as much as possible.
Papillomavirus
Human papillomavirus is currently the most common cause of sexually transmitted infections. For some people, this infection can cause: persistent infection, genital warts, preneoplastic lesions and cancer, mainly at the genital level (cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis and scrotum), but it is already known that it can also cause oncological pathology in the head and neck. The most common cancer caused by HPV is cervical cancer, also called cervical cancer.
Vaccination recommendations:
The preparation Gardasil 9, the best vaccine available so far, will be administered.
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