Equitable vaccination in adults, key to healthy aging

The Gaspar Casal Foundation and Pfizer have presented a report about the challenges for healthy aging in the face of increasing life expectancy in Spain, where they emphasize the crucial role of vaccination throughout life as a preventive measure and advocate creating a common vaccination schedule at the state level, among other strategies.

The document, prepared with the participation of a committee of experts, points out aging as one of the greatest health, social and economic challenges of the 21st century. Regarding Spain, where life expectancy exceeds 83 years On average, they assert that healthy aging is a strategic imperative. In this context, it proposes a roadmap with 10 actions.

“We strive to extend the years of life, but we have to work on extending them with quality of life, and that starts from thinking about the needs of older people and having them participate in what health priorities they have,” said the general director of Public Health and Health Equity of the Ministry of Health, Pedro Gullónwho inaugurated the document presentation ceremony.

Among the proposals of the report, the one of r stands outreview and consolidate a state and equitable vaccination schedulewith the aim of homogenizing cohorts and criteria, incorporating updated scientific evidence and depoliticizing the calendar. “Vaccination rates continue to have room for improvement in terms of access and equity in the territory,” warned the director of Institutional Relations and Communication at Pfizer Spain, Fernando Méndez.

Furthermore, the document aims to create a Healthy Aging coordination unit within the State Public Health Agency (AESAP), increase access to vaccination, reform public health and vaccination financing, encourage the vaccination of health professionals, create communication campaigns adapted to the target population and consolidate the culture of immunofitness.

During a discussion table, the Vaccinology Training member of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV), Natividad Tolosa, highlighted the role that scientific societies have in the development of a vaccine consensus based on evidence. “To achieve high vaccination coverage, accessibility to the health system is essential, and it is important how we integrate health aspects with social aspects,” said the head of the Preventive Medicine Service of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Montserrat Martínez.

From the pharmaceutical field, the treasurer of the General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges, Rita de la Plazahas called for “revaluing” the role of community pharmacy to improve vaccination rates in the adult population, another of the strategic lines that appear in the report, which calls for taking advantage of the frequent contact of these professionals with older people.

Likewise, the president of the National Association of Nursing and Vaccines (ANENVAC), José Antonio Forcadahas highlighted the work of nurses in vaccination, since they are the ones who manage more of the 95% of immunization programs and campaigns, which is why it has demanded adequate and updated training. “No one should suffer an infection preventable through immunization for lack of a recommendation from their nurse,” he stated.

Other proposals

Among the proposals that go beyond vaccination, the report points to implement interoperable clinical and social historypromote territorial care circuits in Primary and Hospital Care that avoid displacement of vulnerable elderly people, scale successful regional models such as those of Valencia, Cantabria or Madrid to a national level, reinforce the role of Geriatrics in the health system and take advantage of the potential of technology.

At the event, the president of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SEGG), Francisco José Tarazonahighlighted that the specialty of Geriatrics is gaining appeal among resident doctors and recalled that the election of the first position last year occurred among 100 first applicants with the best grades. Even so, he has pointed out that the “uneven implementation” of the specialty in the country must be addressed.

The general director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid, Elena Andradasclosed the day by reiterating the “social, economic and health challenges” that Spain faces if it wants the population to live longer in good health. In this sense, he has reiterated that prevention and health promotion policies are “key” and vaccination, “the cornerstone.”

The meeting has had the endorsement of the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SEGG), the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV), the Spanish Confederation of Senior Organizations (CEOMA), the General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges of Spain, the National Association of Nursing and Vaccines (ANENVAC) and the Age&Life Foundation. Likewise, the initiative adds the strategic support of the Chair of Vaccinology of the Rey Juan Carlos University and the Spanish Patients Forum (FEP).