DGS recommends continued involvement of pharmacies in the upcoming Vaccination Campaign

Ema Paulino represented ANF on Wednesday at the event organised by the DGS to present the 2024–2025 Autumn-Winter Seasonal Vaccination Campaign Report. The occasion also served for the DGS to share key recommendations for the upcoming season, with the continued use of a decentralised model—delivered jointly by the NHS and community pharmacies—topping the list.

Vaccine hesitancy is emerging as the main challenge to maintaining Portugal’s historically high coverage rates, prompting the need for close monitoring of public confidence levels and effective responses to vaccine-related misinformation.

Although a global phenomenon, Portugal has not been immune, as reflected in the latest campaign results, which show a decline in COVID-19 vaccine coverage across all age groups compared to the previous season. In contrast, flu vaccination coverage remained stable.

The highest coverage rates were recorded among those aged 85 and over, while the lowest were observed in the 60–64 age group, for both vaccines.

According to the DGS report, a total of 2,405,445 flu vaccines were administered, 1,307,674 of which were delivered in community pharmacies—representing 54.4% of the total. For COVID-19 vaccines, pharmacies accounted for 54.9% of the 1,569,167 doses administered (862,031). In total, 2,405,445 flu and 1,569,167 COVID-19 vaccines were administered during the 2024–25 season, with 1,365,764 given as co-administrations.

In a statement issued ahead of the event, the DGS also highlighted that “by the first week of December 2024, 66.27% of individuals aged 65 and over had already been vaccinated—a key seasonal health measure that helped mitigate the usual strain on healthcare services during autumn and winter, thereby strengthening system resilience.”

Another notable point in the report concerns vaccine wastage. For COVID-19, 67,425 doses were discarded (4.12%), with 9,510 in the NHS and 57,915 in pharmacies—representing a decrease compared to the previous season. For flu vaccines, 2,048 doses were discarded (0.09%)—347 in the NHS and 1,701 in pharmacies—similar to the previous year’s figures.

Other DGS recommendations for the 2025–26 campaign include ensuring high vaccine stock levels before the campaign begins, increasing vaccination coverage among healthcare professionals and pediatric groups, tailoring communication to eligible populations by age group, and adapting the frequency and content of public health messaging.