More than half a million receive flu vaccine in Portugal

DGS data show that over 452,000 people aged 60 or older have already been vaccinated, representing a vaccination coverage rate of 13.8% for this age group—slightly lower than the 14.7% coverage recorded among the elderly aged 85 and older.

For the current campaign, the DGS has begun using annual resident population estimates released by the National Statistics Institute to calculate vaccination coverage rates for both the flu and COVID-19.

“Using this information allows vaccination coverage rates to more accurately reflect current demographic trends in Portugal’s resident population, ensuring that DGS indicators align with official national statistics,” the directorate-general stated.

Vaccination campaign expands access

The SNS procured about 2.3 million standard-dose flu vaccine doses and 369,000 high-dose doses for the current campaign, which notably includes expanding free vaccination to children aged 2 to 4.

Regarding COVID-19, the report states that 229,043 people have already received the seasonal booster—141,736 at pharmacies and 87,307 through the National Health Service (SNS)—with vaccination coverage remaining lower than that recorded for the flu across all age groups.

Data from the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) indicate that vaccination coverage is highest in the 80–84 age group (11.1%), while lowest in the 60–69 age group (3.3%).

New technology supports vaccination

On Monday, the National Association of Pharmacies (ANF) announced that over 800 pharmacies are using new technology from the Portuguese company Sword to combat vaccine hesitancy and streamline vaccination scheduling.

Using artificial intelligence, the “Sword solution supports the provision of vaccination information and facilitates scheduling at participating pharmacies,” the ANF stated. The association said this initiative complements pharmacy teams’ work, strengthening their ability to promote health literacy, answer questions, and improve access to vaccination.

According to Sword’s projections, this technological solution could increase the number of people vaccinated at pharmacies by about 10%—equivalent to up to 100,000 additional protected Portuguese citizens.

The 2026–2027 autumn-winter seasonal vaccination campaign against influenza and COVID-19 runs until 31 March and involves approximately 2,550 participating pharmacies.

For influenza, pharmacy vaccinations are available to individuals aged 60 to 84 and those aged 18 to 59 with high-risk medical conditions.

Pharmacies also offer COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals aged 70 to 84, as well as those aged 18 to 69 with high-risk medical conditions.