The Asociación Nacional de Enfermería y Vacunas (Anenvac), Spain's national association for nursing and vaccines, has published an infographic setting out vaccination recommendations for people living in residential institutions for the 2026-2027 season, Diario Enfermero reports. The guidance was released on Friday, 6 November 2026.
According to the outlet, the association is responding to the seasonal rise in the organisms that cause respiratory infections during autumn and winter. Those pathogens hit older adults hardest, along with people who have chronic illnesses or suppressed immune systems.
Why it matters
Respiratory infections circulate more heavily in the colder months, and people in residential care are among the groups most exposed to severe outcomes. The Anenvac guidance targets that risk directly by naming the vaccines it says should be given to residents and by extending the advice to the people around them.
The association also frames vaccination as more than a shield against infection. In comments reported by Diario Enfermero, it says immunisation lowers the likelihood of serious illness, complications and hospital admissions, which in turn helps older people hold on to their independence and their quality of life.
Which vaccines are recommended, and for whom
Anenvac's infographic recommends three vaccines for people living in these institutions: influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, the virus responsible for respiratory syncytial infections.
The guidance does not stop at residents. Diario Enfermero reports that staff working in the institutions should also be vaccinated, and so should family members, people who share a household with residents, and carers. For those groups, the association names two vaccines: influenza and COVID-19.
The association notes that all three vaccines can be given at the same time when each is indicated, provided that different injection sites are used.
Nurses urged to use every contact
Anenvac directs part of its message at nursing staff, who it says should treat any encounter with an institutionalised person as a chance to check their vaccination status. According to Diario Enfermero, the association wants nurses to recommend the vaccines that apply and to make administration easy, while answering questions about how well the vaccines work and whether they are safe.
The association's position, as reported by the outlet, is that nurses should reinforce a simple point: vaccination does not only help ward off infection, it also cuts the danger of severe disease, complications and hospital stays, which supports older people in maintaining their autonomy and quality of life.
What to watch
With the 2026-2027 season now under way, the question is how quickly the Anenvac recommendations are taken up in residential settings and among the staff, families and carers the guidance also covers.
