THE Ministry of Health receives 75,000 doses of the 2023/2024 Influenza vaccine on Monday .
The vaccine will be available to members of the public at no cost, at all Health Centres from Thursday, a release from the minstry stated on Wednesday.
The ministry stated that this vaccine is a quadrivalent vaccine, as such it contains the following four strains of the Influenza Virus:
- Influenza A (H1N1)
- Influenza A (H3N2)
- Influenza B (Austria) – Victoria Lineage
- Influenza B (Phuket) – Yamagata Lineage
The Influenza season runs from October 2023 to May 2024 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The ministry is encouraging all eligible persons to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
It is underscored at this time that persons belonging to the following high-risk groups may be prone to develop a more severe illness if they contract the Influenza virus:
- Children aged 6 months to 5 years.
- Adults 60 years of age and over.
- Pregnant women.
- Persons suffering from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) (e.g. Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease) regardless of their age.
- Persons with compromised immune systems (e.g. persons with Lupus, certain Cancer patients).
- Persons with chronic respiratory illnesses (e.g. Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
- Healthcare workers.
