The new ordinance approving the Regional Plan for 2015 (PVR - 2015), in force in the Autonomous Region of the Azores (RAA), was published in the Official Journal today. It includes the flu vaccine (Vg) for people aged 65 years and over, and Prevenar 13, vaccine pneumococcal disease, for children born in 2015.

During the last flu season (between November 2014 and March 2015), a total of 14,000 vaccines were administered to people aged 65 and over in a total of about 18,000 flu vaccines. For this reason, the Regional Secretariat for Health has decided to include this vaccine in the Regional Health Programme on an annual basis for that age group.

The Ordinance no.68/2015 of June 1, repeals the previous ordinance no. 68/2014 of October 20 and also includes the Prevenar 13 vaccine; the latter prevents diseases caused by pneumococcal bacteria, such as pneumonia, meningitis, septicaemia and otitis.

Prevenar 13 (Pn13) is a vaccine that combines 13 valences against Streptococcus pneumoniae (serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 23F), and will administered to all children born from January 1, 2015.

In addition to these vaccines, the new Regional Vaccination Plan maintains the vaccines against tuberculosis (BCG) vaccine, hepatitis B virus (HBV 1, 2, 3), Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib 1, 2, 3, 4), Diphtheria, Tetanus and Whooping Cough (DTaP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Td), Poliomyelitis (VIP 1, 2, 3, 4), Neisseria meningitidis C (MenC 1), Measles, epidemic Mumps, Rubella (MMR 1, 2) and human papillomaviruses viruses (HPV).

According to the document, the Regional Vaccination Plan should reflect the scientific evidence produced in the area of public health and the fact that the vaccination against pneumococcal disease should demonstrate a protective effect, besides the protective effect in children, and reduction in the number of hospitalisations for pneumonia in adults. Therefore, it is necessary to change the Regional Vaccination Plan in order to reflect these benefits in public health.

The ordinance approving the Regional Vaccination Programme, which applies to all residents in the Azores, enters into force today.