Madeira Tightens Flu-Covid Rollout, Adds Babies and Farm Vets

A quiet shift in Madeira’s autumn routine signals a broader change in Portugal’s public-health playbook: the island’s annual flu-and-Covid vaccination drive now zeroes in on residents aged 60 and older, while simultaneously expanding coverage to babies and farm veterinarians. Behind the tweak lies a mix of budget math, epidemiological caution and the archipelago’s determination to stay in lockstep with Lisbon and the World Health Organization.

From 50 to 60: the reasoning behind a narrower free-shot window

The Regional Health Secretariat invested €700 000 to secure 18 000 Covid boosters and 49 500 flu doses for the 2025-26 season that opened on 23 September. Officials insist the supply is ample for priority groups, yet not generous enough to keep last year’s broader 50-plus bracket. Health secretary Micaela Freitas argues that concentrating on the “most vulnerable” both stretches resources and mirrors the latest DGS guideline that pegs free vaccination at 60+. Should stocks rise or the virus picture darken, she hints the threshold could slide back down, but for now the message is clear: younger, healthy adults will need to pay or wait.

What’s new beyond the age cut-off

Two additions stand out. For the first time infants aged 6-24 months can receive a publicly funded flu jab, a move paediatricians say may curb winter admissions at Funchal’s Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital. At the other end of the spectrum, livestock handlers and veterinary staff now qualify, reflecting concerns about zoonotic strains that can jump from pigs or poultry to people. The expansion echoes steps already taken on the mainland and brings Madeira’s rulebook in line with European occupational-health norms.

How the rollout works across the islands

All 47 centros de saúde offer the shots, though smaller outposts in Porto Moniz or Paul do Mar have trimmed hours. Residents can simply walk in under the porta aberta model, but administrators recommend booking to avoid lunchtime queues that stretched outside the Bom Jesus health centre during the campaign’s opening week. Each centre stocks both vaccines so that older adults can leave with one jab in each arm, a practice Freitas demonstrated herself during her televised visit.

Early uptake: Madeira mirrors the national trend

Precise regional tallies are still pending, yet officials note that the first week of the national drive logged 287 000 vaccinations, more than half delivered in pharmacies. Among Portuguese aged 60-plus, 160 390 received the flu shot and 97 433 opted for the Covid booster, translating into coverage rates of 5.34 % and 3.24 % respectively. Public-health researchers at the University of Madeira expect local figures to track those percentages once data are compiled, given the island’s traditionally high adherence to immunisation programmes.

Expert view: big benefits for small children and rural workers

Epidemiologist Helena Vasconcelos, who advises the regional government, predicts the inclusion of tots will “significantly reduce paediatric hospitalisations” when combined with the archipelago’s existing RSV immunisation strategy. Meanwhile, veterinary-medicine professor João Abreu welcomes the focus on farm staff, stressing that vaccinating those in daily contact with swine or poultry lowers the odds of a zoonotic outbreak — a risk highlighted last year when Spain detected avian-flu cases in mink.

Looking ahead: flexibility baked into the plan

Freitas keeps the door open to adjustments. If unexpected surges drain supplies, the secretariat may tighten appointment slots; conversely, a mild season or higher-than-expected deliveries from Pfizer and Sanofi could reopen free access to the 50-59 cohort. For now, authorities urge anyone already eligible to roll up their sleeves. As Freitas put it in Funchal, “every arm jabbed is one less hospital bed at risk this winter.”