The national multi-vaccination and immunization campaign against polio ends this Friday (30). The action promoted by the Ministry of Health aimed to expand vaccination coverage against the disease that can cause infantile paralysis and to update the vaccination schedule for children and adolescents.
In addition to the polio vaccine, more than 15 immunizations are offered to children and young people. Immunizers are available at more than 40,000 vaccination points across the country.
The campaign, which would end on September 9, was extended to increase vaccination coverage and population adherence to vaccination. The increase in vaccination coverage aims to increase protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, preventing outbreaks and hospitalizations, sequelae, rehabilitation treatments and deaths.
At an event held by the ministry in Brasília on Sunday (25), the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, said that vaccination helps to prevent the reintroduction of poliomyelitis in the country. “We work to bring public policies in the interest of Brazilian society. Now we have a big challenge: not allowing polio to be reintroduced in Brazil,” said the minister.
The folder’s goal is to reach a coverage rate of 95% for a target audience of more than 14.3 million children under five years of age. According to the Ministry of Health, children under 1 year of age should be immunized according to the vaccination status for the primary schedule. Children aged 1 to 4 years should take one dose of Oral Poliomyelitis Vaccine (OPV), provided they have already received the three doses of Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine (VIP) in the basic regimen.
Polio risks
Polio is a contagious disease caused by a virus that can infect children and adults. In severe cases, it can lead to paralysis in the legs.
The Ministry of Health warns that vaccination is the only form of prevention and that all children under five must be immunized.
Polio vaccine coverage has shown results below the target of 95% since 2016, which according to experts can lead to the reintroduction of the virus in the country.
Teen vaccination
In the multi-vaccination campaign, health posts provide the following vaccines for children and adolescents: Hepatitis A and B, Penta (DTP/Hib/Hep B), 10-valent Pneumococcal, VIP (Inactivated Poliomyelitis Vaccine), HRV (Human Rotavirus Vaccine), Meningococcal C (conjugated), OPV (Oral Poliomyelitis Vaccine), yellow fever, triple viral (measles, mumps and rubella), tetraviral (measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox), DTP (triple bacterial), chickenpox and quadrivalent HPV (human papillomavirus) ).
Adolescents will be able to receive the HPV, dT (double adult), yellow fever, triple viral, hepatitis B, dTpa and Meningococcal ACWY (conjugated) vaccines.
The ministry reinforces that all immunizers that are part of the National Immunization Program (PNI) are safe and are registered by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
Source: CNN Brasil
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