“The major news to announce is that, in these first two campaigns, not all babies were covered. Next year, all babies born will be covered and can be immunised against this disease,” announced André Peralta Santos.

The DGS Deputy Director was speaking to journalists at the Viseu Dão-Lafões Local Health Unit (ULS) during the presentation of the evaluation report for the 2025–2026 Seasonal Vaccination campaign, part of the National Vaccination Program, which ran from 23 September 2025 to 30 April 2026.

“Starting in September, all babies who have been born and have not yet been immunised against RSV will be called in” to be vaccinated, he added.

Major difference

He explained that “the major difference” compared to the previous year is that there were “two months during which [babies] were not eligible for this immunisation,” whereas now “that rule is being eliminated, and all newborns become eligible.”

André Peralta Santos also highlighted that the RSV vaccine, a virus that “caused severe illness in babies up to one year of age”, achieved “90% coverage” over the past year.

The deputy director of the DGS (Directorate-General of Health) also highlighted that the history of vaccination in Portugal is "unfinished," as it is a process that is "constantly improving", including through the introduction of new vaccines and the expansion of existing programs.

"Last year, we introduced two new vaccines for pneumonia and meningitis that offer better protection for our children, and we expanded coverage to include other vaccines, specifically for RSV and hepatitis A," he noted.

Anti-vaccination campaigns

When asked about existing anti-vaccination campaigns, the official stated that the DGS "does not observe such phenomena of vaccine hesitancy within the pediatric population among children."

"There are some very faint signs, highly localised to specific regions of the country, namely the Algarve, Alentejo, and Greater Lisbon, which we are monitoring with great concern while reinforcing confidence among professionals" regarding this work, he said.

He emphasised the importance of the close, personal engagement provided by family doctors and nurses, noting that they are the ones in whom "parents place the most trust when seeking answers to their questions."

"And it is natural for questions to arise. Vaccines are a form of medication, so parents may have doubts; what matters is that they address these questions openly with their family doctor or nurse," he urged.

He assured journalists that "all vaccines included in the NVP [National Vaccination Plan] are safe and highly effective at preventing very serious diseases.