Portugal vaccinates over 1.6 million people against influenza

The Portuguese health authorities have vaccinated over 1.6 million people against influenza since the seasonal campaign began on September 30.

The Direção-Geral da Saúde reported that these vaccinations took place across the National Health Service and at participating pharmacies. People aged 60 and older represent the most vaccinated group, with nearly 1.4 million doses administered to reach a coverage rate of 42.90%. The Ministry of Health expanded free vaccinations this year to include children between 2 and 4 years old.

While influenza numbers are high, fewer than 738,000 people received a Covid-19 booster during the same period. The government maintains a decentralized vaccination model that uses approximately 3,500 vaccination points. This includes more than 2,550 pharmacies that receive 3.15 euros for each vaccine administered. The Ministry of Health expects this pharmacy participation to have a budget impact of up to 7.6 million euros.