Portugal Vaccinates More Than 1.3 Million People Against Influenza
More than 1.3 million people in Portugal received an influenza vaccine between the start of the autumn-winter immunization campaign on September 30 and late October, according to data released by the Direção-Geral da Saúde (DGS). The third weekly report from public health officials shows that community pharmacies administered nearly 689,106 of those doses, while Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) clinics delivered the remaining balance.
Early Campaign Metrics and Pharmacy Distribution
The seasonal vaccination drive, which runs through March 31, 2027, deployed doses across approximately 3,500 total distribution points nationwide. Antena Livre reported that by October 18, exactly 947,839 individuals had received a flu jab, with 520,584 doses administered by participating community pharmacies and 427,255 through public health units. By the subsequent report issued on Tuesday, the aggregate total reached 1,339,486 vaccinations, splitting between 689,106 pharmacy visits and 650,380 SNS clinic appointments.
The Ministry of Health maintained a decentralized delivery model for the rollout. Participating pharmacies received 3.15 euros for each administered vaccine, accounting for an estimated budgetary impact of up to 7.6 million euros across more than 2,550 cooperating pharmacy locations.
Demographic Coverage and High-Risk Groups
For the current seasonal campaign, the DGS adopted annual resident population estimates from the Instituto Nacional de Estatística to calculate coverage rates. This demographic adjustment aligns public health indicators directly with official national statistics. Meanwhile, COVID-19 booster uptake lagged behind influenza figures by roughly half, with approximately 426,593 total booster doses administered—243,102 through pharmacies and 183,491 via the public health service.
Supply Adjustments and Pharmacist Dispensation Rules
Infarmed addressed a European-wide context of influenza vaccine scarcity that created limited availability for private community pharmacy dispensations via medical prescriptions outside the national campaign. Regulatory guidance specifies that available pharmacy stock for non-campaign patients must rely on generic International Nonproprietary Name (DCI) prescriptions for influenza suspension in pre-filled syringes. Valid medical prescriptions issued since July 1 remain acceptable through December 31 to prevent redundant patient visits, while public campaign doses for eligible groups remain fully secured under DGS Norm 006/2026.
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