La Rioja will start the vaccination campaign 2026-2027 against flu and covid in the residences of elderly people the week of September 21, advancing the schedule compared to previous seasons. The administration of the doses will be done progressively with the aim of reinforcing the protection of the most vulnerable groups, after it has been demonstrated that prevention is key to continue improving the well-being of the Riojan population.
Among the main novelties is the expansion of intranasal flu vaccination in educational centers up to 13 years, when in the last campaign it only reached 11. This measure aims for minors to be immunized before the peaks of circulation of respiratory viruses.
These details were presented this Monday by the Minister of Health and Social Policies, María Martín, accompanied by the General Director of Public Health, Consumption and Care, Eva Martínez.
From the Ministry of Health and Social Services, they have also announced that the administration of the vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will begin this week in the residences of elderly people in the community.
In this regard, they have specified that those who already received this vaccine last season do not need to repeat it, since its protection lasts for three campaigns. Likewise, vaccination will be provided to those over 60 years old living in residences for people with disabilities and to those over 18 years old with very high-risk pathologies.
The 2026-2027 campaign against flu, COVID-19, and RSV is structured around three axes: advancing the protection of the most vulnerable groups, bringing vaccination closer to the places where people are, and reinforcing coordination among all levels of care involved.
More investment for new vaccines
The minister has emphasized the economic effort made by the Government of La Rioja to introduce new vaccines and expand the coverage of those already existing. The budget allocated to vaccination has increased from 3,546,326.29 euros in 2022 to 6,232,166 euros in 2026, which represents a cumulative increase of 75.7% over four years. "We are talking about nearly 2.7 million euros more allocated to vaccines than in 2022.
This increase has allowed for the deployment of new immunization strategies. In 2023, La Rioja incorporated systematic vaccination against influenza for all children between 6 and 59 months, as well as immunization with nirsevimab against RSV in newborns and infants under six months.
In 2024, intranasal vaccination against influenza was launched in schools; in 2025 it was extended to all schoolchildren aged 3 to 11 years and for the first time included vaccination against RSV in nursing homes; and in 2026, school influenza vaccination is expanded to 13 years.
During the 2026-2027 campaign, vaccination against RSV is also added in residences for people with disabilities and in those over 18 years with very high-risk conditions, as well as in individuals entering nursing homes for the first time.
High coverage and fewer admissions
María Martín has focused on the evolution of childhood vaccination. In the last campaign, the coverage of the influenza vaccine in the school population reached 60.32%, while among children aged 6 to 59 months it was 56.31%. In the case of RSV, the results are particularly high: in the 2025-2026 campaign, 1,983 doses were administered among a target population of 2,061 born between April 2025 and March 2026, which represents a coverage of 96.22%.
As she indicated, these levels of immunization translate into a notable reduction in hospital admissions. Thus, she pointed out that "the drop in admissions due to bronchiolitis and other severe RSV infections in infants under six months exceeds 80% after administering the monoclonal antibody. Admissions to the Pediatric ICU for these respiratory infections decrease significantly, with reductions exceeding 50%, and the overall hospitalization rate for RSV in children under five years is practically halved in real clinical practice," she noted.
Staggered vaccination schedule
The General Director of Public Health, Consumption, and Care, Eva Martínez, has detailed that the schedule has been organized progressively "to prioritize the most vulnerable individuals, adequately organize resources, and ensure that the population is protected during the period of highest circulation of respiratory viruses."
The first phase starts this very week, from September 14, with the vaccination against RSV for residents in senior centers who, according to the established criteria, should receive it this season, with special attention to those who are entering these residences for the first time.
From the week of September 21, vaccination against flu and COVID-19 will also begin in the residences, so that institutionalized individuals have reinforced protection before the peak of respiratory virus circulation.
The next stage will begin the week of September 28, with the flu vaccination in schools for children aged 3 to 13 years, using intranasal vaccine. "The big news is that we are expanding the included school population by two years: we go from 3-11 years of the previous season to 3-13 years. That same week, immunization against RSV will also begin for those under six months, a strategy initiated in La Rioja in 2023 that maintains coverage above 90%.
Incorporation of the rest of the target groups
Starting in October, the rest of the target groups for vaccination against flu and COVID-19 will gradually be added, following the definitive calendar and the specific indications for each vaccine. In the case of COVID-19, the recommendations focus especially on older adults, institutionalized individuals, pregnant women, and people with certain risk pathologies.
Eva Martínez has emphasized that the current campaign "does not start from scratch, but is the result of a sustained strategy of expanding coverage, incorporating new preventive tools, and improving accessibility that we have been developing throughout the entire legislature."
She recalled that La Rioja incorporated in 2023 the systematic vaccination against flu for all children between 6 and 59 months and the immunization with nirsevimab against RSV in those under six months. In 2024, intranasal vaccination against flu was promoted in the school setting; in 2025, it was extended to all schoolchildren aged 3 to 11 years and the vaccination against RSV in senior residences was incorporated for the first time; and in 2026, school vaccination against flu is expanded to 13 years and protection against RSV is extended to new at-risk groups.
Likewise, the community has enhanced vaccination without prior appointment in these years when the epidemiological situation has demanded it. In November 2025, for example, the extraordinary device enabled at the San Pedro University Hospital administered in five days 1,071 doses against the flu and 555 against COVID-19, in addition to pediatric intranasal vaccines. Subsequently, new vaccination points were launched in Logroño, Haro, and Calahorra.