Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga led this Monday (17th), National Vaccination Day, a call for the vaccination of children and adolescents.

Only 65.74% of the juvenile population had been vaccinated before this Monday (17) – Photo: Kelvin Felipe/Disclosure/ND

“We need to vaccinate the population, especially our children. It is unacceptable that in the 21st century our children suffer from long-eradicated diseases,” Queiroga said at an event held today at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health in Brasilia.

The country’s 38,000 health posts have more than 22 SUS (Unified Health System) immunizing agents daily, but the focus of the Ministry of Health and Queiroga is on polio vaccination.

“From August 7th, we are calling on the Brazilian nation to take their children under the age of five to complete the polio vaccination schedule, and the goal is to achieve 95% vaccination coverage for the approximately 15 million children who can receive these vaccines,” it says. in a statement. minister.

As of this Monday, the country has achieved only 65.74% vaccination coverage (17), with 7,607,661 doses of polio immunizing agent administered, according to Data SUS data.

Keyroga acknowledged that declining vaccination coverage against the disease is a worldwide problem, as cases have been reported in the United States and Israel.

The last case of poliomyelitis in Brazil was reported in 1989, and in 1994 the country received the PAHO/WHO (Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization) certificate of polio eradication.

However, PAHO and WHO are already reporting a high risk of a return of polio to Brazil.

polio

Poliomyelitis or poliomyelitis is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus that lives in the gut called poliovirus, which can infect children and adults through direct contact with feces or secretions passed through the mouths of infected people, causing or not causing paralysis.

In severe cases, in which muscle paralysis occurs, the lower limbs are most affected. Lack of sanitation, poor living conditions and poor personal hygiene are factors that contribute to the transmission of poliovirus. Vaccination is the only possible form of disease prevention.

*According to information from the R7 portal