Flu vaccination campaign for preschoolers on the Balearic Islands begins

Today the schoolyard gets a taste of hospital air — in the gentle version

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Monday morning, a little after 9 o'clock, in several schoolyards on Mallorca parents with thermoses and signed forms stood. In Palma, Inca and Manacor small vans with the health authority's signage arrive, and from the trunks crates of nasal sprays for the flu vaccination are unloaded. No injections, instead a short, almost playful sniff — that's how the mobile teams describe it.

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Who is involved and how does it work?

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Until early November, at more than 350 schools on the Balearics, around 28,000 children from the classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 are invited. Prerequisite: the signed consent of the guardians. The mobile teams, predominantly nurses, work with fixed time windows. The children are briefed in small groups, the vaccination is administered via nasal spray and lasts less than a minute — age-appropriate, explained calmly and without loud crying, teachers report.

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Safety, organization and small worries

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Vaccinations in schools are, in practice, a logistical challenge. Classrooms are temporarily turned into treatment rooms, curricula adjusted a bit. A mother from Palma said she dropped her child off at 8:45, handed in the form, and picked them up again after the event at 11:30 — satisfied, because everything happened quickly and professionally. Other parents remain skeptical: questions about side effects or necessity were answered at information stands.

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Why now? And what comes next?

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The timing targets autumn, when respiratory infections increase. The authorities hope to slow the spread with the campaign — especially in groups of children where viruses like to circulate. For mid-October, a separate vaccination campaign for high-risk groups is planned: seniors and people with preexisting conditions will receive their vaccine then.

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My impression on site: The mood is pragmatic. Not celebratory, but organized. Small signs indicate the way, a nurse smiles and makes the nasal spray thing into a bravery test with a stuffed animal gesture. This is not a big event, but a quiet shield for autumn.

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Who wants to participate: Check the notices from your daycare or school, fill out the consent form and submit it in good time. Questions are answered by the local health department or the school on site.