Paraguay’s Ministry of Public Health is preparing to launch its annual Winter Vaccination Campaign, with flu shots expected to be available at health centres across the country by the week of 13 April 2026. Luis Cousirat, director of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (PAI), announced that the country expects the first batch of approximately 600,000 influenza doses to arrive this week, out of a total of 1,500,000 doses procured for the year.
Paraguay conducts an annual flu vaccination drive ahead of its winter season, which typically runs from June to August.
Doses must clear regulatory checks before distribution
Before the vaccines can reach the public, they must pass through a mandatory approval process. Once the shipment arrives, the National Directorate of Health Surveillance will verify the documentation and confirm that the cold chain has been maintained throughout transit. Only after that clearance can the PAI Paraguay begin distributing doses to vaccination centres nationwide. Luis Cousirat said authorities aim to start the campaign before mid-April, targeting the week of 13 April.
Who can get a free flu vaccine in Paraguay
Health authorities will offer the influenza vaccine to all residents aged six months and older, while prioritising high-risk groups. Pregnant women at any stage and those within six months after giving birth. Children aged six months to three years and adults aged 60 and over.
People aged 11-59 with chronic conditions or weakened immunity, including diabetes, obesity, and heart, lung, kidney, liver, or neurological diseases. Healthcare workers in public and private facilities. Essential workers, including journalists, police, soldiers, teachers, and staff at nursing homes and childcare centres.
The PAI, which also oversees Paraguay’s ongoing measles vaccination drive, administers all doses free of charge at public health centres nationwide.
Updated Covid-19 doses also on the way
The Paraguay winter vaccination campaign 2026 will extend beyond influenza. Cousirat confirmed that 100,000 updated Covid-19 doses from the Moderna laboratory are expected to arrive this month. He noted COVID-19 vaccine uptake remains low, with 94,368 vaccinated last year and many doses unused.
As a result, the current technical recommendation focuses Covid-19 vaccination on people over 60, those with compromised immune systems, and healthcare workers, though the vaccine will remain available to anyone from six months of age who requests it.
Pneumococcal vaccine also included in the campaign
The campaign will provide flu and pneumococcal vaccines for older adults and those with underlying health conditions. Together, the three vaccines form what health authorities describe as a comprehensive respiratory protection package ahead of the colder months.
Cousirat urged the public to visit their nearest vaccination centre once the Paraguay flu vaccination campaign opens in April 2026. All doses will be administered free of cost at public health facilities run by the Ministry of Public Health throughout the country.
