With the reduction in the supply of BCG vaccines by the Ministry of Health (MS), some states have already started rationing the immunizer, in order to avoid shortages. The situation of instability, according to the ministry, should extend over the next seven months. Although no state has claimed that there is a shortage of the vaccine at this time, at least 12 of them informed CNN that they are already working to optimize and ration the drug.
The BCG vaccine vial is multidose and, after opening, it is necessary to use the entire content within six hours. As a result, state health departments have sent rationing recommendations to municipalities, such as the state of Pará, for example.
“The Pará State Secretariat of Public Health (Sespa) informs that, so far, there is no shortage of BCG vaccine in Pará. However, the Ministry of Health reduced the transfer of the immunizing agent and gave a period of seven months to solve the problem, starting in April. So that there is no shortage of BCG in the municipalities, the Municipal Health Departments are being oriented to ration and optimize the use of the immunizing agent during the foreseen period.
Another strategy that is being widely adopted is the scheduling of vaccine application and the centralization of application sites, making BCG available only in places such as, for example, maternity hospitals.
In a note, the MS informed that the reduction was made due to the processing of the acquisition process, which involves purchase, customs clearance and authorization by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) for the entry of the product into the country, which is later sent for analysis of the quality control of the National Institute of Quality Control of Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (INCQS / Fiocruz) before being distributed to health centers across the country.
BCG is one of the first vaccines given to newborns and prevents tuberculosis. In Brazil, the recommendation is for it to be applied in the first days of life, but it can be administered until the child is four years old.
According to DataSUS, so far, Brazil has reached 41.3% of BCG vaccination coverage in 2022. The PNI aims to vaccinate at least 90% of the target audience with BCG. In 2021 and 2020, coverage was 68.6% and 74.7%, respectively.
Data published in the most recent edition of the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiological Bulletin show that about 68,000 people became ill with tuberculosis in 2021.
The incidence rate of tuberculosis in Brazil is 32 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Brazil is part of the list of priority countries for fighting the disease by the World Health Organization (WHO).
*With information from Beatriz Puente
Source: CNN Brasil
