Amazon Health reinforces the importance of vaccination

The vaccine is available in health units in the capital and the interior

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Amazonas, as of November 2022, had 69.6% coverage of polio vaccination in children up to 2 years of age. Data were standardized by the National Immunization Program (PNI). Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation – Dr. Rosemary Costa Pinto (FVS-RCP), an institution affiliated with the Amazonas State Ministry of Health (SES-AM).

Vaccination is the main form of prevention against polio and is available in health units and included in the routine immunization schedule for children. Since 2019, the average annual coverage has fallen and moved away from the ideal scenario recommended by the Ministry of Health, which is 95%.

According to PNI data, from January to November 2022, only four municipalities in the state had vaccination coverage exceeding the 95% recommended by the Department of Health. They are: Urucurituba, Careiro da Varzea, Itapiranga and Silves. Manaus and other municipalities have a lower average coverage target.

FVS-RCP Director Tatiana Amorim stresses the importance of polio vaccination to prevent the virus from returning to the state. “With the commitment to vaccination, we will increase our vaccination coverage and reach the goal set in MS,” Tatyana highlights.

Tatiana advises parents and guardians to look for health units to take their children for immunization. “It is very important that parents and guardians seek out health units, so that children are vaccinated against polio, and thus grow up with a better quality of life,” he adds.

reintroduction risks

To prevent the return of polio in Amazonas, an alert has been issued to health professionals, authorities and administrators in 62 municipalities. The guidelines are in Joint Technical Note No. 023/2022 – FVS-RCP / SES-AM, available at: https://bit.ly/3bjXfsb🇧🇷

Prevention and control
Vaccination is the main measure to prevent polio, an infectious disease caused by a virus that lives in the intestines, poliovirus.

The vaccination schedule consists of giving three doses of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, with a 60-day interval between doses.

The minimum interval between doses is 30 days. Two booster doses should also be given, the first at 15 months of age and the second at 4 years of age.