The Government of Paraíba, through the State Department of Health (SES), is holding an “Influenza (Influenza) Vaccination Day” across the state next Saturday (18). The goal is to expand influenza vaccine supplies and improve coverage in 223 municipalities. 36.91% of Paraíba's population has been vaccinated against influenza, ranking second in the country (Rio Grande do Sul – first, at 37.33%) and first in the Northeast. However, there is still a long way to go to reach the 90% coverage target. This will be the second day of the campaign. The first happened on April 13. These measures are part of the '26th National Influenza Vaccination Campaign' that was implemented across the state, from March 18 to May 31.
The head of the SES Immunization Centre, Marcia Maiara, points out that the influenza vaccine has been expanded to cover the entire unvaccinated population, from six months onwards, although there is greater interest in children and the elderly. “SES emphasizes that municipalities must continue to intensify and prioritize children aged six months to five years and 11 months and the elderly, as when we carry out an epidemiological assessment, we find that the largest number of hospitalizations due to influenza A occurs in these two groups with priority”.
The total target audience for the campaign is 1,564,374 people. So far, 530,677 people have been vaccinated, including the elderly – 37.31%; Children – 35.86%; Pregnant women – 34.35%; Indigenous people – 49.17% and postpartum women – 26.27%. Other groups consist of persons with permanent disabilities, health workers, and primary and higher education teachers; homeless people; Professionals from security and rescue forces; Professionals from the armed forces. People with chronic non-communicable diseases and other special clinical conditions regardless of their age; People with permanent disabilities; truck drivers; Public land transport workers for urban and long-distance passengers; dock workers; Population deprived of liberty, workers in the system of deprivation of liberty, adolescents and young people aged 12 to 21 years under social, educational and quilombola measures.
Financial incentive – The State Government, through Order No. 574 of May 7, 2024, established a financial incentive of R$ 500 (five hundred Brazilian reals) per vaccination room, for municipalities that reach the 90% target in the 2024 influenza vaccination campaign, necessarily reaching the priority groups that It is made up by the elderly and children, with 90% of the target also achieved.
The total value of the award will be limited to R$ 659.5 thousand taking into account a total of 1,319 active rooms that will be transferred directly from the State Health Fund to the Municipal Health Funds. On June 1, an evaluation will be carried out from the municipalities with data analysis in the official system of the National Immunization Program. It is preferable that the amount be passed in the form of awards to health professionals directly involved in the results achieved in the 2024 influenza campaign.
As it happens this year, in the 2023 influenza campaign, the state government also provided a financial incentive of R$ 300.00 per municipal vaccination room for municipalities that reached the overall target of 90% and also, obligatorily, the target for the priority group of children aged six Months to less than six years. 152 municipalities succeeded, including 888 rooms, with a total investment of R$ 266,400.00 allocated to the award. This measure contributed to Paraíba becoming the second state to achieve the vaccination campaign target of 90.09%.
Miss Paraiba Vaccine Program – All these actions and strategies to achieve the goal of influenza vaccination fall within the Vacina Mais Paraíba programme, an initiative of the SES, through the Executive Directorate of Health Surveillance and the State Immunization Centre, launched by the Government of Paraíba in 2022 in order to strengthen immunization activities in the 223 municipalities of Paraíba.
Since the beginning of the program, 16 days have been implemented, during which 1,198,092 doses of vaccines have been administered, including: routine, COVID-19, dengue, and influenza vaccines. It is still possible through the program to diagnose the condition of 1,198 vaccination rooms; Winning first national place in the 2022 polio vaccination campaign; Build nine standard operating procedures (SOPs), to standardize procedures in vaccination rooms; Create spreadsheets to monitor vaccination coverage, carried out daily during campaigns and monthly for routine vaccinations; Create and launch an educational guide for vaccination procedures in schools; Build and launch a Braille immunization booklet for children, teens and adults/elderly; Establishment of the State Immunization Committee, with the main objective of strengthening inter-sectoral coordination to enhance and monitor immunization procedures;
In 2024, actions will continue through the establishment of GCFs, with the aim of promoting the exchange of successful experiences and strengthening relationships between institutions. 18 data qualification workshops were held, with a total of 520 trained specialists, and 12 municipal immunization action plan building workshops were held, with the participation of 358 specialists.
Awards – At the 17th National Exhibition of Successful Experiments in Epidemiology, Prevention and Control (ExpoEPI), among the works presented, Vacina Mais Paraíba came in second place in the oral method.
In contrast, in the Competitiveness Excellence Award, led by the Center for Public Leadership (CLP), Facina Mis Paraiba was among the six finalists in the Best Practices category.
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