Overview
- Regional health officials issued a sanitary alert after week 15 surveillance counted 33,931 acute respiratory infections in children under five, 1,269 pneumonia cases in adults 60 and older, and 56 deaths.
- Free influenza and pneumococcal shots are available at public clinics during Pan-American Vaccination Week 2026, which runs through May 3, with mobile teams expanding access.
- The flu shot is advised each year for young children, pregnant people, those with chronic conditions, and adults 60+, while the pneumococcal vaccine is a one-time dose for older adults to prevent severe disease.
- Health brigades are focusing on districts with more cases, including Veintiséis de Octubre and Sullana.
- Officials cite cooler weather, social vulnerability, and low vaccine uptake as drivers, and they urge handwashing, masks when symptomatic, and prompt care instead of self-medication.