Two days ago we told you that the Ministry of Health of the Canary Islands Government had decided to include the Bexsero in its official calendar, becoming the first autonomous community to announce that it will finance the meningitis B vaccine, predictably before summer.
But today we have known that Castilla y León will advance to the Canary Islands, because the director general of Public Health has announced that this vaccine will be included in the community calendar from the month of March.
In Babies and more The meningitis B 'Bexsero' vaccine: everything you need to knowThe complete vaccination calendar of Castilla y León
The announcement took place one day after the decision made by the Canary Islands, and as reported by COPE the director general of Public Health, Agustín Álvarez, the financing of the Bexsero vaccine will be made regardless of what the Ministry of Health decides and the different autonomous communities on March 14, the date on which the Public Health Commission will be held.
"We want to do it all at once, but if necessary we will get ahead, as we did with the pneumococcus"
"The deadlines in Castilla y León are marked by this March 14, but On the 15th we enter directly since we have both the logistical and budgetary possibilities"- explained Agustín Álvarez.
In this way, Castilla y León would become the first autonomous community to finance the Bexsero vaccine against meningitis B, allocating a budget of three million euros to vaccinate almost 16,000 children against this disease.
According to experts, Castilla y León is the community with the most complete vaccination calendar in Spain, because two months ago he took another important step by replacing the conjugate vaccine against meningococcus C with the tetravalent vaccine against meningococci A, C, W and Y, in infants and adolescents at the same time.
In addition, it also announced the incorporation of the nonavalent vaccine against HPV (human papillomavirus) to 12-year-old girls, increasing protection against a greater number of serotypes responsible for cervical cancer.
In Babies and moreCastilla and León, the first community that incorporates the vaccine against meningococci A, C, W and Y to the children's calendar And the other communities?
With this announcement, there are already two autonomous communities that have decided to finance the Bexsero vaccine, whose cost (106.15 euros the dose) is a great economic effort for most families.
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics issued an official statement two days ago supporting the decision of the Canary Islands, and encouraging all autonomous communities to consider taking the same step In the coming months, according to their sensitivities and availability of resources:
"From the AEP and its Vaccine Advisory Committee it is expected that other Spanish autonomous communities will consider taking this same step in the coming months, known the real needs to prevent meningococcal disease, mainly in the pediatric age, taking into account the special virulence and lethality in this period of life, and since we have vaccines, both against serogroup B meningococcus and ACWY meningococci "
In Babies and more Vaccine calendar 2019: these are the noveltiesIt is inevitable to ask why can't all children in Spain have the same opportunities? As you know, although the Spanish Association of Pediatrics has been asking for years to unify criteria, Each autonomous community has its own vaccination calendar and power to decide which vaccines to include.
As for the specific case of the meningitis B vaccine, pediatricians have been asking for it to be included in the official calendar for some time, since the serogroup against which it protects is the cause of seven out of ten cases of meningitis registered in Spain.
News like this shows that a single vaccination schedule as complete as possible is urgently needed in all the Spanish territory, without inequalities and that protects the health of all the children, they live where they live.
Via El País
