In an interview with CNN, epidemiologist and former coordinator of the National Immunization Program (PNI) Carla Domingues said that the mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated travelers who come to Brazil is not an effective measure to prevent the dissemination of the coronavirus.
According to Domingues, the presentation of proof of vaccination when entering the country is already something adopted in other parts of the world, aiming to protect the population.
“How are we going to prevent new variants and ensure that there is no outbreak, especially in places that already have the epidemic under control? Ensuring that both the internal population of the country is properly vaccinated and those who enter the country also prove vaccination. This is a measure that all countries must adopt”, said the epidemiologist.
Thus, for Domingues, the five-day quarantine is not enough, as these people would still have circulated around the country. She explained that scientific studies indicate that the transmission period of the coronavirus is 10 days. So, this would be the minimum time for an isolation “adequate, correct and with surveillance”.
“The government’s decision is a very loose measure, as it is a voluntary vaccination. We don’t know if the quarantine will work”, said the epidemiologist. “We have to control access to the country, ensuring that people have a negative test and adequate vaccination, and that the internal Brazilian population complete the vaccination schedule, with the second dose and the third dose for those who already have the chance to receive there”, he completed.
According to Domingues, states are unable to enforce quarantine, which would require travelers to voluntarily comply with isolation.
“We don’t have the structure for this (inspection). Therefore, the most logical thing at this time is to charge for the vaccination passport upon entry,” he said.
She also highlighted the importance of wearing masks. “The mask cannot be abolished at this time, and, especially when we are in crowded places, we need to ensure that people are properly vaccinated. So this vaccination passport must also be required in Brazil and places where there will be some agglomeration.”
Variants and New Year’s Eve
As Carla Domingues explained, the emergence of a new variant depends on two fundamental conditions: large numbers of people without adequate vaccination and crowding.
She points out that increasing vaccination coverage is the great challenge, and recalls that the average of 65% with people immunized is national. Some states and municipalities have a much lower rate.
The holidays, according to the epidemiologist, are not safe for this reason.
“At this rate of immunization, we will not have the vaccinated population [a tempo das festas]. It is necessary for the population to understand that, in order to return to the agglomerations, it is necessary to have the population protected”, said Domingues.
Another important point to avoid the new variant is to complete the vaccine cycle with the third dose.
As for the Ômicron variant, Domingues explains that it has high transmission power, but has not yet shown to develop severe cases. However, it is important to keep monitoring the new strain, “especially when it is the main one in countries”. Currently, it has low registered circulation.
The former PNI coordinator also links the flu outbreaks to low vaccination coverage.
“Influenza outbreaks happened because people neglected to be vaccinated against the flu virus. We cannot think that immunization against Covid is a priority and that the rest can be neglected”, he concluded.
See the full interview in the video above
Reference: CNN Brasil
