The advisory member of the Directorate General of Public Health and Equity in Health of the Ministry of Health, Jorge del Diego, has detailed that the most recent data indicate that the immunity provided by vaccines against COVID-19 remains solid for about five or six months. For this reason, he considers that a new vaccination campaign in spring aimed at certain groups, such as the elderly or those most vulnerable, could be contemplated.
"It must be checked if there are different circulations of this virus throughout the year to see if it will be necessary to consider, as Sweden does, a spring vaccination specifically targeting specific groups," Jorge del Diego pointed out during a conference on COVID-19 vaccination organized by the National Association of Health Informers (ANIS) and the biopharmaceutical company HIPRA.
Despite this, he clarified that this possibility is not currently being debated between the autonomous communities and the Ministry of Health. In this regard, Del Diego emphasized that it would be "very difficult" for health services to organize two vaccination campaigns in different periods of the year.
With this idea, he insisted on the need to make the most of available public resources. "Andalusia, for example, has around a thousand residences. Going to a thousand residences involves a very important logistical operation and stopping many things at a given moment to focus efforts on it," he stated.
On the other hand, the secretary of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV), María Fernández-Prada, recalled that the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 does not follow a clearly seasonal pattern, although "seasonal vaccination continues, for all the advantages it may have," she pointed out.
"That is why, at times, the Ministry has been asked if a second dose of vaccine is necessary in specific groups in spring to try to adapt to the circulation of the virus or reduce its impact," Fernández-Prada stated.
Along the same lines, the scientific and virological surveillance manager of the National Influenza Center in Valladolid, Iván Sanz, considered that it is most likely that, over time, the duration of vaccine protection will be prolonged, as the virus will tend to stabilize, which could favor longer-lasting immunity.
It remains a threat to the at-risk population
Specialists have stressed that COVID-19 continues to pose a significant danger to vulnerable people and that the decrease in social risk perception is affecting both vaccination rates and adherence to basic prevention measures.
Thus, they have indicated that in the 2024-2025 season alone, around 8,000 hospitalizations, 300 ICU admissions, and approximately 500 deaths related to COVID-19 were recorded in Spain, mostly in elderly people and patients with risk pathologies.
"COVID-19 should not be communicated with the social alarm codes of 2020, but it also cannot be treated as a trivial infection," indicated Fernández-Prada.
Regarding epidemiological evolution, Sanz explained that SARS-CoV-2 has shifted to a circulation pattern based on outbreaks spread throughout the year, moving away from the initial large pandemic waves. "Coexistence with the virus is already established," he stated, although he admitted that it is not yet known with certainty what its behavior will be in the coming years.
"Messages must be personalized"
In relation to communication to citizens to promote COVID-19 vaccination, Fernández-Prada argued that messages should be "personalized," especially for risk groups. "When we talk about risk groups not associated with age, but with pathologies, I would try to personalize the message: in your case, with your situation," he added.
At the same time, he proposed that communication aimed at those aged 70 and over should focus on the importance of maintaining their current health status. "The way to maintain your health and the situation you are in right now involves taking care of yourself, and taking care of yourself includes getting vaccinated," he specified.
Furthermore, he insisted on the need to convey the true burden of the disease to the population. "It is good to explain mortality rates and the decrease in quality of life that a hospital admission can entail. For me, a key message is that people know the burden of the disease. It is important to know the figures," he concluded.