Murcia expands nasal flu vaccine to include children up to 11

Parents in the Region of Murcia will now have a vital healthcare service available for preteen children: in a move to strengthen public health for seasonal influenza, the availability of the intranasal vaccine will be expanded for children up to 11 years old, marking an effort by officials to protect the youngest demographics and mitigating the spread of seasonal viruses.

Expanding flu protection for school-aged children

Previously, the vaccine campaign, which launched in late 2025, covered approximately 55,000 children from ages 2 to 9. Now, with the expansion of the age threshold, an additional 16,000 children will now be eligible for the vaccine, bringing the total number of protected children to an estimated 71,000 and above.

According to public health experts in the Region of Murcia, vaccinating school-aged children is imperative for public health. First and foremost, this practice protects the children themselves, who are often more vulnerable and can get more severe complications from the flu. Secondly, since children are active in the spread of viruses, vaccinating them can also help to protect other vulnerable members of society, including elderly residents and those who already have health complications.

Boosting shingles defense for older adults

But the vaccination of children is not the only expansion to the 2026 seasonal healthcare schedule. Adult vaccination will also receive a boost, particularly with regard to the prevention of shingles, or herpes zoster. The Murcia regional government is expanding the target age groups to residents between 79 and 83 years old, with the potential to reach nearly 120,000 citizens. This expanded access, as estimated by healthcare officials, could prevent upwards of 4,000 cases of shingles, drastically improving quality of life and reducing the long-term nerve pain often associated with the condition.

The Region of Murcia: A comprehensive approach to preventative medicine

Currently, the Region of Murcia boasts one of the most comprehensive vaccination schedules in Spain. The system actively immunizes citizens against 23 different illnesses, with 16 of these during childhood and 7 of these during adulthood.

With this healthcare commitment to its residents, the Region of Murcia continues to reaffirm itself as one of the top areas in Spain for preventative medicine and overall public healthcare. Parents and their little ones, by participating in this new campaign, will no longer have to worry about seasonal viruses, and can also do their part to help prevent the spread of these bothersome – and potentially deadly – illnesses.