Although flu vaccines were available in pharmacies this year as early as mid-August, and from September 1, the National Health Fund finances the vaccination service, Poland will probably record another spectacular drop in the percentage of those vaccinated. By December 2, less than 650,000 people had decided to be vaccinated against influenza.

It's dramatically small - the population of Poland is 38 million people, and after adding refugees from Ukraine who stay in Poland for longer - even over 40 million. This means that about 1.8 percent are currently vaccinated. of us. Meanwhile, it is known that flu vaccinations are most dynamic from September to November, although December - as experts said during the Monday meeting of the Senate Health Committee - is actually the best month to receive the vaccine.

What does the Ministry of Health have to say about vaccinations, whose information the senators dealt with? - According to the declaration of all vaccine manufacturers, availability is fully ensured. The first delivery of the vaccine for this season to Poland took place in August, it was 650,000. packaging. The first vaccines for Poles, for recipients, were available from August 17. Until December 2, stock levels in wholesalers are very high - assured Deputy Minister of Health Waldemar Kraska. - At the latest, at the turn of October and November, a nasal vaccine for children appeared on the market - he added. He also emphasized that influenza vaccination: qualification for vaccination and administration of the vaccine are covered by the guaranteed benefit package. - To carry out the vaccination, it is necessary to issue a prescription, also for vaccines available free of charge as part of the reimbursement, to be filled in a pharmacy - he admitted.

100 percent Vaccine reimbursement is available to pregnant women and people over 75 years of age. 50 percent Reimbursement - children from 6 months to 18 years of age, people aged 18-65 from groups at risk of severe course of influenza and people aged 65 to 75 years. The rest of the patients have to pay 100 percent for the vaccine - while a year ago the vaccination was available free of charge, also in the first year of the pandemic many people had the opportunity to be vaccinated for free (although the availability of vaccines was problematic, especially in autumn 2020 and 2021).

The influenza vaccine can be taken in medical facilities and pharmacies, but in order to be vaccinated in a pharmacy, the patient must first go to the primary care physician for a prescription. Qualification for influenza vaccination of an adult may, apart from a doctor, also be made by a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife, paramedic, physiotherapist, laboratory diagnostician and pharmacist. The qualifying examination of minors is performed only by a doctor.

In the previous season, as Kraska said, about 9 percent of people were vaccinated against influenza. population. - As for the figures from August 17 this year to December 2, 2022 - from medical records, which are kept electronically - we currently have less than 650,000 people arrested in our country. people, exactly 646 thousand. Most people were vaccinated in the province. Mazowieckie, i.e. 125 thousand. people. The voivodeships of Lower Silesia, Silesia and Wielkopolskie are in further places. When it comes to the age structure, the largest number of people who have been vaccinated are people over 75 years of age.

- We also have data on the vaccination of medical workers this season. We have over 118,000 vaccinated in total. people. The largest group that was vaccinated are doctors, it is 52,000. people. Almost 31 percent all doctors were vaccinated against influenza. The second group are laboratory diagnosticians - almost 18 percent. he informed. 10% of dentists were vaccinated, 13% of pharmacists, 12% of nurses and male nurses, 12% of midwives, and about 8% of paramedics.

Data presented by Waldemar Kraska, chairwoman of the Senate Health Committee Beata Małecka-Libera called "a failure of public health". Senators and experts scored incorrect - in their opinion - decisions of the ministry from a few months ago, which did not encourage Poles to vaccinate. The decision not to fund vaccines for healthcare workers was the most criticized. Not because it created a financial barrier, but because both medical professionals and the public could read it as a signal that flu vaccination was not important. There was also a strong demand that, as in the case of vaccination against COVID-19, the RCB notification system should be involved in encouraging citizens, and the vaccinations themselves should be carried out on the basis of e-referrals. The deputy head of the ministry declared that work on new solutions is underway, but it is unlikely that they will be implemented this season.