Portuguese newspaper, Diário de Notícias, has reported that flu has come back in force this winter, leaving people seriously ill and filling up hospital emergency departments.
The first influenza A type cases started appearing in October, sparking warnings from health professionals that vaccination coverage wasn’t high enough among those most at risk. That lack of coverage is now being felt in hospitals, where the majority of interned patients are unvaccinated, some of which are warning they’re struggling to manage beds.
Free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are available from health centres and many pharmacies for those over 60 or with certain health conditions, according to the National Medical System (SNS) hotline. Health Minister Manuel Pizarro yesterday called for everyone eligible to get vaccinated, stressing there were plenty of jabs available.
Portugal was the only one of the 20 European countries on the EuroMOMO database with “very high” excess mortality in the last week of 2023, accoding to ,Diário de Notícias reports. Experts said the high level of respiratory infections appeared to be part of the problem, but the exact cause still wasn’t known.
Source Jorge Branco - Photo courtesy of Depositphotos.com
