Anvisa approves vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus

After a year of illness caused by the infectious agent, Anvisa approves registration of vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – The first in the country. Respiratory syncytial virus is mainly responsible for cases of bronchiolitis, according to a memo from the municipality. In May, as accompanied by this bulletin, Amapa even declared a public health emergency After the outbreak of the virus caused hospital beds to be overcrowded in the state. Children and the elderly were the most affected – and at present, Anvisa recommends using the new vaccine only for people over 60 years old, with a single dose. The vaccine is produced by the British pharmaceutical company GSK, and bears the trade name Arexvy. Due to emergencies in the first half of the year, “the application for drug registration was classified as a priority,” continues the memo from Anvisa. In June, another vaccine was developed by Pfizer It is approved by health authorities in the United States. The next step towards using Arexvy in the country will be its approval by Conitec, which is still pending.

Chikungunya cases more than double in SP

In 2023, arboviruses have spread through the country’s most populous federal unit. actually 142% increase in chikungunya cases In São Paulo compared to last year, according to state data: there were 2,167 registrations and 12 deaths, compared to 893 confirmations and no deaths in 2022. At the beginning of the year, the World Health Organization had already predicted the arrival of El Niño. – the effects of which are exacerbated by climate change – could “Increased transmission of infection Dengue and other arboviruses, such as Zika and Chikungunya,” said its Director General. UFMG even identified an increase in Coinfection of patients Through more than one virus transmitted through Aedes aegypti. For members of the Arbovirus Committee of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases, the scenario is even worse for next year – there is an expectation of an increase in cases in major cities and the spread of the disease in areas where there are currently no records of it.

Maximum biosafety laboratory in Brazil

Signing of an agreement worth one billion Brazilian riyals between the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health and the Robert Koch Institute from Germany, It will fund the Orion LaboratoryAt the National Center for Energy and Materials Research (CNPEM) in Campinas. The site will be a center of excellence for monitoring, storing and studying pathogens under maximum biosafety conditions, and is an unprecedented piece of equipment in Latin America. Orion will be integrated with Sirius, a particle accelerator technology, connected to three synchroton light sources, an exclusive requirement in Brazil. The German institute will help train Brazilian scientists to work with microorganisms capable of causing serious diseases, and for which the country has not yet mastered safety standards. This new project reinforces the National Health Sovereignty Project, which is the World Health Organization’s recommendation for developing countries after the Corona virus pandemic. Orion has an area of ​​20,000 square meters and the second phase of Sirius is included in the new PAC.

“The pandemic has put the importance of national control over the productive health base at the center of the debate, as well as the role of the state in coordinating agents and investments in addressing the health crisis. In this context, the implementation of a biosafety level 4 laboratory is strategic for the country. The link between NB4 (definition of the Orion standard for biosafety) and the synchrotron light source will open great opportunities for research and development in the field of pathogens, putting Brazil in a global leadership position,” celebrated the Minister of CT&I, Luciana. Santos.

Climate change even affects workplace accidents

Research conducted by scientists from the State University of Maringa (UEM) and the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) identified Characteristics of temperature-related work accidents in Brazil. According to the study, from 2006 to 2019, there were 210,000 notifications to the Ministry of Health due to heat discomfort: concentrated in the southeast, especially in the state of São Paulo, and occurred mainly within the companies themselves. Its main victims were men, and the most affected body parts were the hands, arms and legs. To mitigate harm to workers’ health, researchers recommend “frequent rest breaks throughout the workday, especially during heat waves” – but only combating climate change effectively can reverse the critical conditions that generate many workplace accidents.

– Reducing waste in private health

In November, the Court of Justice was held in São Paulo I launched the program Health Reconciliation, which aims to accelerate understanding between users of private health plans and their insurers. The initiative is another symptom of the growing legal tussle between the two entities, with increasing complaints from users regarding issues such as denial of treatment and even unilateral cancellation of plans, especially from customers undergoing more expensive treatments. “Every 25 minutes, there is a new lawsuit against health plans. This no longer makes sense, for the simple reason that health and physical well-being, the greatest assets in life, need to be resolved quickly,” said Maria Lucia Ribeiro de Castro Pizzuti Mendez, coordinator of the Permanent Center for Roads. Consociational Conflict Resolution (Nupemec) Judge: “There is no effectiveness, the companies realized this and accepted our invitation.” María Lucía’s initiative has already received support from 43 companies operating in the state.