LISBON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Portugal on Tuesday started the 2026-27 autumn-winter vaccination campaign for seasonal flu and COVID-19 diseases with an official incentive of 3.15 euros (3.69 U.S. dollars) for each vaccine administered.
According to a decree published in Portugal's Official Gazette, community pharmacies could participate in the campaign with a budgetary impact of up to 7.6 million euros (8.89 million U.S. dollars).
Citing experience from the 2024-25 and 2025-26 periods, the Health Ministry said such seasonal campaigns had "demonstrated relevant benefits for the protection of public health and for the response capacity of the health system."
The Central Administration of the Health System will finance the campaigns by transferring the funds to local health units, which will be responsible for paying participating pharmacies.
This decentralized vaccination model combines pharmacies with primary healthcare facilities operated by the National Health Service, expanding the number of locations where people can receive seasonal vaccines.
The previous seasonal campaign in Portugal ran from Sept. 23, 2025 to April 30, 2026. It involved about 3,500 vaccination sites, including 2,585 community pharmacies and around 1,000 primary healthcare units.
During that campaign, pharmacies administered more than 1.1 million flu vaccine doses and about 631,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses.
The government said continuing the model stems from its assessment that expanding vaccination access through community pharmacies can strengthen the country's capacity to deliver seasonal immunization while maintaining the role of the public healthcare system. ■