Seasonal Influenza Vaccination, 2024–2025 Season
Seasonal influenza vaccination is one of the main measures for preventing respiratory illnesses and flu-related complications, particularly among high-risk population groups. In this way, vaccination helps reduce the spread of influenza, lowers the burden on the healthcare system, and contributes to improving public health during the flu season.
This report summarizes the data and analyses on the implementation of the vaccination program for the 2024–2025 season, including vaccine supply, distribution, coverage of risk groups, and recommendations for improvement.
For the 2024–2025 season, the Ministry of Health secured 85,000 doses of seasonal influenza vaccines. Vaccination began on September 30, 2024, and the distribution of vaccines was carried out to all municipalities based on their requests. Distribution took place during the last week of September and was managed through the Pharmaceutical Stock Management System (PSMS), ensuring that vaccines reached all municipalities efficiently and equitably.
Transport and storage were carried out in compliance with the cold chain and proper storage conditions.
Risk groups for vaccination for the 2024–2025 season:
• Healthcare workers
• Pregnant women
• Persons over 65 years of age
• Adults with chronic diseases (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, etc.)
• Children aged 6 months to 5 years with weakened immunity
Coverage by risk groups for the 2024–2025 season
Among the risk groups, the highest coverage is observed among persons over 65 years of age, indicating an appropriate focus on the group at greatest risk for complications. However, the percentage shows that there is still room to increase coverage in this category. Healthcare workers show low coverage, which is concerning given their high occupational exposure and key role in the healthcare system. Pregnant women are almost not included in vaccination, which may reflect hesitancy, lack of information, or other barriers. Persons under 65 years of age with chronic diseases represent a considerable number; however, the absence of a specific percentage makes it difficult to accurately assess the actual coverage in this group. Meanwhile, children aged 6 months to 5 years with weakened immunity are minimally represented, with a very low number vaccinated.