ES Government expands influenza vaccination for population from 6 months of age

With the vaccination coverage declining throughout the Brazilian territory, the Ministry of Health has decided to expand the vaccination offer of the 23rd National Influenza Vaccination Campaign for the population from six months of age, as well as to extend the campaign until the last dose. in health services.

The numbers are still well below the exact target we need to reach to protect the population. With the expansion, we can expand vaccination coverage in the state, and remind priority groups of the importance of immunization, as the population is the most vulnerable to complications of influenza syndrome,” said the state program for immunization and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance coordinator, Daniel Grillo.

From the start of the campaign on April 12 to this Monday (5), vaccination coverage in the state was 44.6%, receiving more than 1.4 million doses.

“It’s less than half the ideal coverage in about three months of the campaign. With the number of doses we’ve already received and distributed, we could have come to about 92% of the coverage. We think the campaign with Covid-19 may have interfered with the research.” About influenza, however, we have directed all 78 municipalities in improving strategies to call in these people to be immunized and get vaccinated,” the coordinator said.

The expectation, also according to Daniel Grillo, is that the Ministry of Health will send more doses over the next few days. “It was approved that a shipment of influenza vaccines be dispatched to complete 100% of the doses for the priority audience. He stressed that other audiences could be considered with doses from the technical reserve and doses for priority groups that did not attend.

Campaign data

With 1,431,200 doses distributed and 710,546 doses applied, Espírito Santo has a vaccination coverage of 44.6%, according to data from the Information System of the National Immunization Program (SIPNI).

For PEI coordinator Danielle Grillo, the goal in recent weeks will be to increase vaccination coverage in the public listed by the Department of Health: children, pregnant women, postpartum women, health workers, teachers, the elderly and indigenous peoples. .

According to data from SIPNI, as of Monday (5), vaccination coverage for these priority groups is 70.6% for children; 60.1% for pregnant women; 68.2% for postpartum women; 55.9% of health workers; 99.8% of the indigenous population; 49.7% elderly; and 38.7% are teachers.