By Andrea Hargraves 
To expand the protection of newborns against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a germ that causes tuberculosis, the Municipality of Aracaju provides, through the Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS), the BCG vaccine (Bacillus de Calmette e Guérindose) in eight Basic Health Units (UBSs) in the capital, in addition to Maternity of the Municipality of Lourdes Nogueira.
The vaccine, which is part of the National Immunization Program of the Ministry of Health, is given Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 3 pm, at UBSs Augusto Franco, Celso Daniel, Dona Sinhazinha, Manoel de Souza, Amélia Leite, Carlos Fernandez, Analia Pena and Jose Calombe. In the municipality of Lourdes Nogueira, the vaccine is available every day, from 7 am to 5 pm.
According to the Ministry of Health, the BCG vaccine protects against serious forms of the disease, and it is given from birth until the age of 4 years in a single dose, and in light of this, the pediatrician in the SMS Mother and Child Program, Soraya Mura, warns of the importance of the vaccine.
“Everyone should be aware of the child’s need to strengthen the defenses necessary to combat infection, through vaccinations that are part of the routine, whether in maternity hospitals or basic health units. This reduces risks and ensures greater protection for children’s health,” he explains.
protection
The BCG vaccine protects against severe forms of tuberculosis, an infectious disease that affects the lungs, as well as the bones, kidneys, and meninges (the membranes that surround the brain).
The Ministry of Health, with information from the World Health Organization (WHO), confirms that in Brazil, despite the increasing incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis, there are no more dangerous forms registered, and in countries where tuberculosis is prevalent and its prevalence is increasing. Incorporating a childhood immunization program, more than 40,000 cases of tuberculous meningitis are prevented annually.