Health Minister Nísia Trindade believes that the improvement in vaccination coverage in Brazil is a result of the commitment of healthcare workers, combined with government initiatives. In addition to stepping up efforts to combat the spread of fake news and renewing equipment that ensures vaccines are preserved for longer periods, the government has developed local strategies involving society.
Nísia Trindade celebrated the data released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) that caused the country to leave the ranking of the 20 nations with the most unvaccinated children.
The improvement in coverage in 2023 includes vaccines against polio (IPV and OPV), pentavalent, rotavirus, hepatitis A, yellow fever, meningococcal C (1st dose and booster), pneumococcal 10 (1st dose and booster), triple viral (1st and 2nd doses) and triple bacterial booster (DTP).
According to the minister, the result is a consequence of the “commitment of health workers”. “Another important factor is the fight against misinformation, which has been fought since last year by the Health with Science platform”, she added when referring to the program created with the objective of defending vaccination and confronting misinformation.
“The most important thing is for the government to tell everyone that they have to get vaccinated,” he added, highlighting that, to achieve this goal, local strategies were adopted, with society and government integrated, also favoring healthcare initiatives in homes, as well as courses and information disseminated by the Open University of the SUS (UnA-SUS).
Nísia Trindade also highlighted the government’s initiative to renew the so-called Cold Chain, also part of the National Immunization Program, which provides physical and technical-administrative structures in the three spheres of government that guarantee the maintenance of the quality of immunobiologicals acquired by the Ministry of Health, distributed throughout the country.
Popular Pharmacy
During the interview, the minister recalled that currently 95% of the 41 items in the Popular Pharmacy are completely free. In addition to medicines for hypertension, diabetes, asthma and osteoporosis, the program distributes sanitary pads to girls and women.
“Sanitary pads are part of the program and the implementation of the law. Before, they were not part of it, which even generated a lot of controversy during the previous government, despite being something so important for girls and women,” said the minister.
The full list of medications and supplies available can be accessed here. The list of pharmacies and drugstores accredited to the program can be accessed here.
Source: CNN Brasil
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