Spain: mutual insurance companies will soon be able to vaccinate staff in companies with more than 250 employees

The government and employers are preparing to sign an agreement that allows mutual insurance companies to assist in inoculating employees. The agreement between the CEOE employers’ body and the Ministry of Health, should be ratified by the end of the week 26 April, and will authorize mutual insurance companies to actively participate in the vaccination effort by way of administering vaccines to employees in companies with more than 250 staff. This is a first, since until now the inoculation campaign has only been carried out in health centers, hospitals and large authorized spaces (stadiums, gymnasiums, etc.). While details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed, the announcement has caused controversy, as it opens up the prospect of a rapid vaccination route occurring within companies, and aside from general national campaign. The Social Security Minister however affirmed that the goal is simply to increase the number of vaccination points, by using additional logistics and manpower capacity available with the occupational mutual insurance organizations. The Minister recalled that the regional administrations remain in charge of managing the inoculation campaign, and that mutual insurance companies intervention will only take place if the regions consider it useful, any intervention will always be under the regional adminsitrations’ control, and age-group based priority sequencing will not be altered.