Representatives from the professional colleges of Dentists, Nursing, Pharmacists, Doctors, Podiatrists, Psychology, and Veterinarians from Las Palmas, and the College of Physiotherapists of the Canary Islands, representing approximately 25,000 healthcare professionals, wanted to present a united front today regarding the need for general population vaccination against the flu, and especially for at-risk groups and healthcare workers. Loreto Gómez, president of the College of Pharmacists of Las Palmas, who acted as spokesperson, explained that “despite what we often hear about sinister intentions of vaccines, the truth, what is really verifiable, are the figures. 12,825 deaths in 2024, a thousand more than in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Health.”. He recalled that “this figure only accounts for people who have died, not those who are admitted or present very complex medical conditions complicated by asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, myocarditis, encephalitis, or myositis.”. Regarding healthcare professionals, he asserted that as a group they are “more exposed than others” due to the inherent characteristics of their work, and stated that they can become “transmitters to the population, to patients, and to their own families. It is the responsibility of each healthcare professional to protect and to protect themselves, and the vaccine is, without a doubt, a valid, safe, and effective means.”. 
Regarding the campaign itself, he explained that the goal is to “propose the relationship of affection between patient and healthcare professional, affirming that we take care of each other, and that we do so out of responsibility and respect.”. The press conference concluded with the vaccination of the representatives from the attending schools, who, in addition to Gómez, were:
- President of the Official College of Dentists of Las Palmas, Francisco Cabrera Panasco.
- President of the Official College of Nursing of Las Palmas, Rita Mendoza Sánchez.
- President of the Official College of Physiotherapists of the Canary Islands, Vanesa Eugenio Bermúdez.
- President of the Official College of Podiatrists of the Canary Islands, Ernesto López Artiles.
- Dean of the Official College of Psychology of Las Palmas, Francisco Javier Sánchez Eizaguirre.
- Secretary of the Official College of Veterinary Profession of Las Palmas, Pablo Varona Cabrera.
- Deputy Secretary of the Official College of Physicians of Las Palmas, Marta León Santana.
SCS Abián Montesdeoca Melián and Raquel Domínguez Díaz, responsible technician for the Canary Islands Health Service's immunization program and a technician from the service, respectively, were also present at the press conference to explain that “getting vaccinated is a necessity, not to avoid catching the flu but to avoid complications that could lead to hospitalization or death.”. Montesdeoca stated that “the new variants can be treated with the current vaccine,” and recalled that “in the Canary Islands, we have not yet reached the peak of the curve” and pointed out that “unlike other years, the flu has come early.”. This participation makes the unity between the regional administration and professionals even more evident in improving the population's health.
