Clinics and pharmacies already register high demand for the flu vaccine. According to the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics, the expectation is that 8 million people in the private network will be immunized in 2022.
In the private network, immunizers can be purchased by anyone. In the Unified Health System (SUS), the campaign starts on April 4, for priority groups defined by the Ministry of Health.
The search is high in clinics and also in home visits, companies, condominiums and schools. The vaccine applied in the private network has one more strain in relation to the one provided by the SUS.
Although the composition is slightly different, the tetravalent vaccine is so safe and effective in protecting against influenza for the quadrivalent dose.
According to the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics, the private network began the annual influenza vaccination campaign in the last week of March. In 2021, clinics across the country were responsible for delivering about 8.5 million doses, an increase from 2020, when 7 million doses were delivered.
national campaign
The national flu vaccination campaign in the public network begins on April 4, according to an announcement made by the Ministry of Health.
80 million doses of the influenza vaccine will be distributed, covering about 76.5 million people who are part of the groups considered priority. The campaign must be carried out until the 3rd of June. D-day of national mobilization is scheduled for April 30th.
The campaign will take place in two stages, the first being aimed at seniors aged 60 and over and health professionals, between April 4 and May 2. In the second stage, between May 3 and June 3, the other priority groups will be immunized, including:
- Children from 6 months to under 5 years old (4 years, 11 months and 29 days)
- Pregnant women and puerperal women
- Indian people
- teachers
- People with comorbidities
- People with permanent disabilities
- Security and Rescue Forces and Armed Forces
- Truck drivers and workers in urban and long-distance collective road transport for passengers
- port workers
- Prison system officials
- Adolescents and young people from 12 to 21 years of age under socio-educational measures
- population deprived of liberty
The state of São Paulo anticipated the campaign, which began on the 27th, with the vaccination of elderly people from the age of 80.
The influenza vaccine used by the Unified Health System (SUS) is produced by the Butantan Institute. The formulation is updated annually so that the dose is effective in protecting against the main strains of the virus in circulation.
The trivalent vaccine includes protection against strains H1N1, H3N2 (including the Darwin strain, responsible for an outbreak in late 2021) and type B.
According to the latest epidemiological bulletin from the Ministry of Health, until March 19, 4,917 cases of influenza resulted in hospitalizations throughout Brazil this year. Most of them (2,023) are in the Southeast region.
Of the total number of cases of influenza that resulted in hospitalization, 1475, or 30%, affected people in age groups excluded from the group prioritized by SUS, from 6 to 59 years old.
Basic care helps prevent the flu
Source: CNN Brasil
