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Date Published: 14/10/2021
ARCHIVED - Spain to reduce Covid vaccine spending by half in 2022
Almost 90% of the target population in Spain has now been fully vaccinated
With the fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic seemingly under control in Spain and 87.8% of the target population now fully vaccinated, it stands to reason that the 2022 budget will drastically reduce spending on Covid jabs.
To this end, the Government has announced that next year, 1,172 million euros will be allocated to the purchasing of Covid jabs – half of the 2021 budget – with the surplus redirected toward mental health. Advocates have applauded this move, which will see this budget skyrocket from a meagre fund of just three million euros to almost 30 million.
The bulk of next year’s health expenditure will still go towards coronavirus vaccines, while authorities are waiting on a decision about vaccinating children under 11 and a third booster jab being offered to the general population.
In 2021, the predicted expense of vaccines actually doubled and the Government is taking no chances for 2022; on top of the jabs for the national population, Spain has committed to purchasing 293 million euros worth of vaccines for poorer countries.
As well as the additional spending allocated to mental health services, an increased budget has been earmarked for primary and community care, an expansion of oral health services, and more dedicated facilities for children under 14, pregnant women, people with disabilities and patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.
Specifically, the Government plans to assign 28 million to implement proton therapy in the National Health System, a treatment used against cancer which will employ high-tech machines strategically distributed in health centres across Spain.
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