COVID-19: Getting Vaccinated in Barcelona
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
The vaccination campaign has been officially launched in Barcelona and the rest of Spain. Turó Park Clinics provides an update on the subject.
Located between the Eixample and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi districts, the English-speaking clinic offers a wide range of medical services. These range from general medicine to cardiology, ENT and analyses. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Juan Ambrosioni, a specialist in infectious diseases, COVID-19 and travel medicine, has been treating patients with coronavirus. He answers all the questions about this and the new vaccine.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign
Vaccinations began in Spain on December 27, 2020. The country is giving first priority to residents of nursing homes and their caregivers. Catalunya will be gradually administering the 60,000 doses received each week. For the next few months those to be given priority are the following:
- Residents and staff of retirement homes.
- Front-line health care professionals.
- Other health professionals.
- Dependent elderly people not living in retirement homes.
Which Vaccine Will Spain Use?
Currently, the European Medicines Agency has approved Pfizer/BioN-Tech's mRNA-BNT162 vaccine, marketed under the name Cominarty®.
Dosage and Administration
It is administered intramuscularly in two doses of 0.3mL each, 21 days apart. Two appointments are therefore necessary.
Are you interested in a telephone or video consultation? Learn more about Turó Park Dental & Medical Center's telemedicine services in our article: Digital Health Care: Accessing Telemedicine in Barcelona.
Are There Any Contraindications to the Vaccine?
The COVID-19 vaccine can only be given to people over the age of 16. However, it is not recommended for patients who have had severe anaphylactic reactions to any of the vaccine components. In addition, it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or for people with severe acute illness accompanied by fever.
Can the Vaccine Cause Side Effects?
Most European health agencies report that side effects are mild and subside within hours of the injection. They may include the following:
- Pain at the site of the vaccine injection
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Chills
- Muscle or joint pain
- Fever
If necessary, an analgesic such as paracetamol can relieve these effects.
Need a COVID-19 test? Learn more about the PCR and antibodies tests available at Turó Park Dental & Medical Center in our article: COVID-19 Tests in Barcelona in 48 Hours. Or, if you need a rapid antigen test, the clinic offers COVID-19 Rapid Testing at Work & Home.
Is the Vaccine Effective?
According to clinical trials, the vaccine’s efficacy is over 90% after the second dose, and it is even as high as 95% in people aged 16 to 55.
When Can I Get Vaccinated?
At the time of writing, the government has not implemented voluntary vaccination. Vaccines are only available through the national health care system and are not available at private clinics.
Those interested can contact Turó Park Dental & Medical Center so that the clinic can contact them as soon as vaccination is possible. You can reach the clinic through the COVID-19 hotline at +34 669 562 878 or email covidtest@turoparkmedical.com
Additionally, Turó Park offers the following COVID-19 Tests at the clinic, at the laboratory, at home or at your office:
- PCR test : €100
- Antibodies test : €40
- PCR + Antibodies tests: €140
- Rapid Antigen Test: from €50
- Video Consultation: €60€
You can find out more about all the clinic’s services and book an appointment via the website at turoparkmedical.com and follow on Twitter: @park_turo, Facebook: @turoparkmedical, Instagram @turoparkmedical and LinkedIn.
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
