The Health Department of the Supreme Committee warns of low demand for influenza and measles vaccines

The Santa Catarina Health Department warns of low demand for influenza and measles vaccines at the start of the campaign. Vaccination began April 4, and as of Wednesday, 13, only 118,544 people from priority groups who are able to receive the flu vaccine and 15,396 have been vaccinated against measles. These values ​​correspond to vaccination coverage of 10% and 9.8%, respectively.

For the influenza vaccination campaign, the target audience for the first phase is 1,244,859 people, including 1,094,620 elderly people aged 60 years and over and 150,239 health workers. The goal is to vaccinate at least 90% of this population. The target audience for the first phase of the measles vaccination campaign is 155,797 health workers. The goal is to vaccinate at least 95% of the public.

The Director of Acute Infectious Diseases and Immunization at DIVE/SC, Arieli Schiessl Fialho, considers these vaccination rates to be alarming.

We are already entering the flu monsoon period and soon the temperatures will drop, further increasing the spread of the virus. We need to protect the most vulnerable populations from disease when it occurs to avoid serious cases and deaths. Therefore, our appeal to people who are part of the priority groups to search for the point of vaccination as soon as possible “, emphasizes.

With regard to measles, Santa Catarina does not, at the moment, have any suspected or confirmed cases of the disease. However, states such as Amapá and Sao Paulo have already confirmed cases of the disease this year, showing that the virus is spreading and can infect those who have not been vaccinated. The measles virus is highly contagious and, like the flu, can cause complications and lead to death. Vaccination is the only form of prevention.

Influenza and measles vaccination campaigns continue through June 3, with D-Day for both, for national mobilization, April 30 (Saturday).

diseases

Influenza, also known as influenza, is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. The virus is highly contagious and can cause an infected person to develop severe forms of the disease and even die as a result.

These severe cases often occur in people who have risk factors or conditions for complications from the infection. Therefore, it is important to vaccinate those who are part of the priority groups.

Influenza transmission occurs directly through respiratory secretions of an infected person when sneezing, coughing, or talking; Or indirectly through the hands that can transmit the virus directly to the mouth, nose and eyes after contact with surfaces newly contaminated with respiratory secretions from an infected person.

Measles is a highly contagious disease, which a person infected with the virus can transmit to up to sixteen people who are not immune. Transmission from person to person occurs by coughing, talking, breathing or sneezing of a sick person, and it can cause fever, eye irritation, malaise, runny nose, and red spots on the skin, in addition to complications that can lead to death, especially in children. Less than one year.

The only way to prevent measles is through vaccination. For this reason, it is important to encourage updating the vaccination booklet, especially in this period when vaccination coverage is low.