The Minister of Health attributed progress to the return of Zé Gotinha and the rapprochement with the states and municipalities; Experts point out, however, that average coverage remains much lower than expected to keep some diseases eliminated
Polio vaccination coverage rates have increased in Brazil. In the comparison between 2022 and 2023, there was a 37.24% reduction in the number of children under 1 year of age who did not receive any vaccine doses. In 2022, 243 thousand children remained without protection, while the following year this number dropped to 152.5 thousand. The data were presented by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday 23rd, at the headquarters of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in Brasilia.
In addition to the advancement of polio vaccine coverage, both oral and inactivated, Member States reported that there was an increase in coverage of 11 other major immunizing agents in the National Program on Immunization (PNI) childhood calendar: yellow fever, hepatitis A, meningococcal C (1st dose and booster), pentavalent (which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Haemophilus influenzae b – Hib and hepatitis B), rotavirus, yellow fever, pneumococcus 10 (1st dose and booster), triple viral (1st and 2nd dose, against measles, mumps and rubella) and strengthening triple bacterial (DTP).
The increase in vaccination coverage varies, on average, from 4 to 9%. In the case of the polio vaccine, a disease popularly known as “infantile paralysis,” this increase was 7.5% in the first dose and 9.2% in the second. However, the one that made the most progress in terms of coverage was the reinforcement of the bacterial triple layer (DTP), which increased from 67.4% in 2022 to 76.8% last year.
According to the Ministry, the improvement in vaccination rates can be attributed to the return of the character Zé Gotinha, symbol of vaccination in Brazil, and to broader communication. Furthermore, Minister Nísia Trindade highlighted the role of the microplanning strategy, in which the Ministry’s teams travel to the United States to participate in actions such as analyzing data related to geographical, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. “Microplanning was essential to understand the particularities of each location and identify the most appropriate vaccination strategy,” the minister said.
The Ministry also announced that more than 6.5 billion reais have been invested in the purchase of immune agents and the forecast is that these resources will reach 10.9 billion reais in 2024.
During the data presentation, Nísia said that the results achieved represent progress towards vaccination goals, but stressed that there is still much to be done. This is because, according to the minister, “the denialism of the previous government persists, especially through the spread of misinformation”.
Vaccination objectives and disparities
Isabella Ballalai, director of the Brazilian Society of Immunization (SBIm), stresses that any increase in vaccination coverage is positive, but stresses the importance of considering improvements in public health information systems, which may have contributed to greater accuracy in vaccination records vaccinations.
It also warns that while we have made progress, the current average vaccination coverage of the 13 childhood vaccines that have seen an increase is just over 70% and, therefore, significantly below the 95% target.
It’s also worth mentioning that vaccines such as BCG, hepatitis B and chickenpox have gone in the opposite direction, with vaccination rates dropping significantly. “Despite progress, our average coverage remains much lower than expected to keep these diseases eliminated,” Isabella says.
Although the Department has not released data by state, the expert also highlights the need to consider this disparity. He explains that vaccination rates vary considerably within the country, which can create risk areas, where low vaccination coverage makes a region more susceptible to certain diseases.
“We welcome and are aware of the efforts of the Ministry of Health. The approach with States and Municipalities, through microplanning, is an example of this. However, the recently released data must be examined taking into account vaccination objectives and disparities for region”, states the director of the SBIm.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
