Portugal achieved the flu vaccination coverage recommended by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO): 75% of people aged 65 or over.
Vaccination coverage against covid-19 and the flu “is high”, indicates the most recent report on the epidemiological situation, by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), for the week of 6 to 12 March.
According to the document on the seasonal health response – surveillance and monitoring, there is a stable trend in epidemic flu activity, with a predominance of subtype A(H3) (82.8%).
As for the notification of cases of infection by SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease covid-19, it maintained a stable trend, with the Omicron BA.5 variant dominating.
Worldwide, it is also mentioned in the document, the new cases and deaths reported decreased (-40% and -57%, respectively) compared to the previous 28 days.
The DGS document also indicates that the number of medical consultations in Primary Health Care of the National Health Service decreased compared to the previous week.
In the week in question, according to the same summary, cases of hospital emergencies due to flu and respiratory infections increased.
“Reported flu-like episodes occurred mainly in adults and the proportion of flu-like episodes leading to hospitalization increased.” In Intensive Care Units, the occupation of beds dedicated to covid-19 has decreased and the proportion of cases with the flu has increased. “Since week 50 of 2022, such a high proportion has not been registered”, reads the document.
Regarding the youngest, the DGS states that “the number of admissions to the ward due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus in children under 2 years of age has remained stable”.
General mortality was in line with expectations at the national level and specific mortality from covid-19 showed “a stable trend, below the threshold defined by the ECDC”, according to the document.