Since 2020, the yellow fever vaccine has been included by the Ministry of Health in the base calendar for all states in Brazil, including the RN, which until then had been an area without a vaccine recommendation. From April 2022, the yellow fever vaccine application in RN will target populations 9 months to 59 years old.
To discuss the action plan for the implementation of this vaccine, as well as the gradual increase in vaccine coverage, the monitoring of adverse events that may be associated with the vaccine and the strengthening of integrated yellow fever surveillance, the Secretary of State for Public Health has on Tuesday (22) the “Yellow Fever Vaccine Implementation Forum in the RN”, which is being held, From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the mini-hall of the School of Government, with state and municipal references on immunization, health care and health surveillance.
Opening the forum, the state health minister, Cipriano Maia, stressed the importance of the vocational qualification process. We know that this vaccination requires more attention, as it has some adverse effects. It is very important that we can update ourselves, have information and be able to act on this within the health districts, in the reference municipalities, in order to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge. We hope to ensure vaccination coverage and thus provide immunity against a fatal disease in a large proportion of cases.”
The expansion of the vaccination zone occurred due to the re-emergence of the yellow fever virus in the past two decades outside the area considered to be endemic (the Amazon region), reaching areas still not registered such as the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Parana and the southern Rio Grande.
The advancement of the virus circulation area, which is close to large, densely populated urban areas, with the population not being vaccinated and infected with the Aedes aegypti mosquito, reinforced the need to expand the vaccination area across the country.
In the RN, 100,000 doses will be distributed initially to start the introduction of the yellow fever vaccine.
yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute, vaccine-preventable viral disease that is transmitted to humans and non-human primates (monkeys) through the bite of infected mosquitoes. It has two transmission cycles: wild (when there is transmission in rural areas or forests) and urban. The virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and there is no direct person-to-person transmission. In forest areas, the main vectors are Haemagogus and Sabethes mosquitoes. In urban areas, the vector of the virus is Aedes aegypti. The last case of urban yellow fever was recorded in Brazil in 1942 and all confirmed cases since then stem from the sylvatic cycle of transmission.
Severe yellow fever (YF) is currently endemic in Brazil (Amazon region). In the outer Amazon region, periods of epidemic are occasionally recorded, which characterize the re-emergence of the virus in the country.
Symptoms of yellow fever are: Sudden onset of fever. goosebumps. Severe headache; Back pain; general body aches; vomiting and nausea; fatigue and weakness; Most people get better after these initial symptoms. However, about 15% experience a brief period of hours to a day without symptoms and then develop a more severe form of the disease.
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