The headquarters of the Order of Pharmacists (OF) hosted, this Wednesday, the session “Vaccination throughout life: challenges and opportunities in Portugal”. The event, organized by RESPIRA – Portuguese Association of People with COPD and other Chronic Respiratory Diseases, gathered various health sector stakeholders to discuss persistent obstacles in adult vaccination adherence and identify ways to improve information, trust, and access to this health technology.
In the opening session, Humberto Martins, president of the Regional Section of the South and Autonomous Regions of the OF (SRSRA-OF), representing the dean, emphasized the need to enhance the information provided to the public and strengthen health literacy. "We face several challenges today: ensuring better information, strengthening health literacy, combating misconceptions about risk, promoting trust, and ensuring that vaccination recommendations reach each citizen clearly and personally,” he stated.
Martins also highlighted the crucial role of pharmacists in increasing vaccination adherence, given their proximity and accessibility. "The participation of pharmacists in seasonal vaccination has demonstrated the value of proximity, accessibility, and trust,” he argued, advocating for coordination between health professionals and information systems, while safeguarding data protection.
The study “Barriers to Vaccination in Portugal”, promoted by MOVA – Patients Movement for Vaccination, was presented as the central moment. The survey, conducted among 1,500 adults, reveals that 94.4% recognize the benefits of vaccination, such as protection against serious diseases and herd immunity. However, about 64% are unaware of adult vaccines included in the National Vaccination Programme (PNV), and 90.5% are unaware of other available adult vaccines.
Individual risk perception is a limiting factor: 38.8% of those who do not get vaccinated annually against flu or COVID-19 cite not feeling at risk as the main reason, and half of the participants do not consider seasonal vaccination a personal priority. Fear of adverse effects affects 22.3% of respondents, particularly those aged 36 to 44 (32.8%).
Adherence to other adult vaccines is low: 7.5% for pneumococcal, 4.9% for HPV, 1.5% for RSV, and 1.3% for Herpes Zoster. The conclusions reinforce the importance of closer, more personalized recommendations from healthcare professionals, with over 75% of respondents stating they would be more inclined to vaccinate if they received more personalized information from their doctor.
