Portugal's Early Flu Jab Rush Keeps Free Shots Within Reach

An unusually brisk start to the autumn vaccination season has turned Portugal into one of the rare European territories where public enthusiasm for the flu shot still matches public-health ambition. By the third week of the campaign more than 1.2 million doses of influenza vaccine had been given and 716 000 updated COVID-19 boosters administered, placing the country on course to reach its 2.5 million flu-jab target long before spring. Yet the picture is not uniformly rosy: uptake among hospital staff lags, and most of the continent remains far from the 75 % benchmark endorsed by Brussels.

Portugal’s head-start and the numbers behind it

Walk into any centro de saúde or one of the 2 500 participating pharmacies and chances are the vaccine fridge is already half-empty. The national immunisation plan, free since 1965, now runs on a blended network that lets citizens book online, drop in after work or even receive a nurse at their front door. That convenience helped the country hit 71 % influenza coverage last winter, the third-best record in the EU after Denmark and Ireland. Early reports from the current season suggest a repeat performance, with older adults once again leading the way; in some districts more than 85 % of people aged 85+ have been jabbed, fuelled by automatic SMS reminders sent by the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS).

Why Portuguese roll up their sleeves

Primary-care physicians remain the campaign’s secret weapon. Surveys conducted for the Vacinómetro® project show that a doctor’s recommendation moves seven in ten seniors to accept the injection, while clear public messaging persuades many others. The broad network of neighbourhood pharmacies, unheard of in several Nordic systems, adds another layer of accessibility. Specialists also credit a culture of collective responsibility fostered during the pandemic; getting vaccinated is widely perceived as a civic duty that spares hospital wards and family budgets alike. Even so, the World Health Organization’s 75 % goal for those over 65 has not been fully met—Portugal sits at 73.6 % in this age band, leaving room for improvement.

Healthcare workers: the weak link

If there is a chink in the country’s immunisation armour, it is inside its own hospitals. Despite daily contact with vulnerable patients, only 49.7 % of frontline staff had rolled up a sleeve by February, according to the latest audit. That is significantly better than the EU average of 32 %, yet still below what epidemiologists consider safe. The Health Ministry is experimenting with on-site pop-up clinics, peer-to-peer advocacy and evening rosters to push the rate higher before winter peaks. Officials argue that boosting confidence among caregivers will multiply protection across wards and care homes.

RSV: a quiet Portuguese success story

Another data point worth noting involves the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a pathogen that hospitalises roughly 250 000 European children every year. Portugal’s second season of free monoclonal prophylaxis for newborns is already under way and aims to protect 76 000 babies by March. Last year the same programme delivered an 85 % drop in admissions for infants under three months and a 40 % fall among those aged three to six months. Encouraged by those figures, the SNS will extend eligibility next autumn to cover babies up to ten months old and certain high-risk toddlers, keeping the jab cost-free and accessible only through public channels to avoid supply bottlenecks.

Europe’s broader struggle

While Lisbon celebrates incremental gains, most EU capitals face an uphill battle. The latest bulletin from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control shows that only Denmark, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden came close to the 75 % flu-shot threshold; several large member states failed to reach even 50 %. Post-pandemic fatigue, fragmented primary-care systems and misinformation on social media are often cited as culprits. Provisional effectiveness estimates for this season’s flu formula—between 40 % and 53 % against circulating strains—make a compelling case for higher take-up, yet the message is slow to resonate beyond Scandinavia and the Iberian Peninsula.

A converging viral winter

Health authorities warn that influenza, COVID-19 and RSV will circulate simultaneously through late March, placing predictable strain on emergency departments. The Directorate-General of Health urges anyone over 60, all expectant mothers, people with chronic conditions and healthcare personnel to get jabbed without delay. With free doses, streamlined booking and pharmacy pick-up, Portugal has removed most practical barriers. Whether cultural willingness can keep pace with viral evolution will be the real test as the colder months unfold.