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As seasonal illnesses continue to circulate, Murcia’s Ministry of Health and the Santa María de España Academy of Pharmacy have joined forces to reinforce a clear message: vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect both individuals and the wider community.

 

The renewed call comes after a meeting last week between Health Minister Juan José Pedreño and the Academy’s president, Stella Moreno, alongside academic representatives, where a new document titled Benefits of vaccination for individual and collective health was presented. The guide forms part of the 2025–2026 Seasonal Vaccination Campaign and aims to support ongoing public health messaging at a time when respiratory infections are once again in the spotlight. The reminder follows recent warnings about a sharp increase in flu cases across the region.

 

Pedreño described immunisation as “the most effective instrument to boost the preventive action of the immune system against disease and reduce its complications,” underlining its role not just in avoiding illness, but in limiting serious outcomes.

 

The Academy’s document highlights vaccines as one of the greatest public health achievements in history, explaining how childhood immunisation helps train immature immune systems, pointing to their role in dramatically reducing infant mortality worldwide. It also highlights the importance of vaccines for women, both for their own health and that of future children. It goes further and stresses that the benefits extend far beyond the individual, helping to prevent outbreaks and protect vulnerable groups through community immunity.

 

Against a backdrop of widespread misinformation, Pedreño urged people to seek advice from trusted professionals. “It is important that to resolve doubts, one always turns to scientifically well-prepared healthcare personnel, instead of being influenced by information from sources that are not strictly scientific,” he warned.

 

He also emphasised the wider social responsibility involved, saying that “protecting others, promoting community immunity, constitutes an act of solidarity.”

 

Both the Ministry and the Academy agreed on the need to continue supporting vaccine research and ensuring sufficient funding, reinforcing their shared view that prevention remains one of the strongest tools in public health.

 

Image: Ghinzo/Pixabay and Ayuntamiento de Murcia