The national campaign for seasonal influenza vaccination will begin in Tunisia on October 27, with the vaccine made available in private pharmacies, basic health centers, and public hospital facilities.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the Tunisian Union of Private Pharmacy Owners, Aymen Khelifi, indicated that 280,000 doses had been reserved for this campaign. He also announced that this year a preferential price for the seasonal influenza vaccine would be adopted, which will not exceed 24 dinars per dose, compared with about 38 dinars last year.
In a statement to the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) agency, Khelifi explained that this price reduction was due to the regulatory mechanism applied by the Central Pharmacy of Tunisia, the only structure authorized to negotiate directly with foreign laboratories and to procure vaccines.
He assured that the vaccines offered in the private sector, through pharmacies, and in the public sector, via basic health centers, hospitals and institutions under the Ministry of Health, will be of equivalent quality and efficacy.
This statement comes following a coordination meeting held this Wednesday at the headquarters of the Directorate of Primary Health Care, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Central Pharmacy, the Directorate of Primary Health Care, the Syndicate of Private Pharmacy Owners and the National Council of the Order of Pharmacists, according to the same source.
This annual meeting is part of anticipatory preparations aiming to ensure the smooth running of the seasonal influenza vaccination campaign. It aims to finalize logistical arrangements and guarantee a high level of coordination at central and regional levels for the distribution of doses and the organization of vaccinations under the best conditions.
As a reminder, the Ministry of Health had indicated that the flu vaccine is simple, safe and effective, and protects vulnerable people against complications and high-risk forms. It is particularly recommended for people aged 65 and over, patients suffering from chronic diseases, notably cardiac, respiratory, renal diseases, diabetes or immune deficiency, as well as pregnant women and health professionals.
The ministry had also recalled that the flu reappears each autumn and that the best period to get vaccinated is before winter, while noting that the vaccine can also be administered up to February, or even beyond.
