Petropolis Diary

Vaccines

Photo: PMP . Disclosure

Wesley Fernandez – Diary Special

With just under 10,000 vaccines to reach half a million doses applied, Petrópolis is experiencing the best moment of the pandemic, posting a sustained decline in cases, deaths and hospitalizations for covid-19 in recent months. Despite the positive scenario, it is essential that the population is attentive and those who have not yet turned up for the second dose of the vaccine or the booster dose should seek immunization centers – people who have not completed the vaccination schedule are at greater risk of contracting coronavirus, in addition to weakening control over epidemic. The warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) that confirmed Thursday (09) that the duration of immunization by vaccines is six months after the second applied dose, or the single dose, as in the case of Janssen. This time was estimated by the intersection of several studies that have already been conducted.

“We have reviewed the existing data, and most of it shows that immunity lasts for up to six months,” Kate O’Brien, director of the World Health Organization’s Department of Immunization, told a news conference. It also says that protection for up to six months does not completely disappear after that period, but that for half a year, the risks of serious illness, hospitalization or death are significantly reduced.

In Petropolis, according to the National Immunization Plan (PNI) set by the Ministry of Health, the interval between the first and second doses of CoronaVac is 28 days and eight weeks for those immunized with AstraZeneca. For those vaccinated with Pfizer, the interval between the two doses is 21 days. According to the Municipal Health Department, no appointment is required to receive the second dose. Simply go back to the point where your first application was made and present your vaccination card. The document is essential for data on the first dose that the team must examine. The person must also carry a CPF and an identification document with a photo.

booster dose

Regarding the additional dose, Brazil introduced the vaccination schedule to boost the immunization of the population against COVID-19, and recommended a five-month period between the second dose and the booster dose. In Imperial City, those over 18 who have taken their second dose of Pfizer, AstraZeneca or CoronaVac can make an appointment to receive the extra dose. Scheduling must be done on the Petropolis municipality’s website (www.petropolis.rj.gov.br).

In the case of the Janssen vaccine, as recommended in the Technical Note from the Ministry of Health, the booster should also be done after five months, with the same vaccine. Petropolis is waiting for the arrival of new doses from this plant. However, pregnant and postpartum women who have been vaccinated with Janssen can get the booster with Pfizer. For this group, the application began on the 1st of December. It is not necessary to register or schedule in advance. To receive your dose, simply return to the same clinic where you took the single dose, taking your personal document and vaccination brochure.

“The Ministry of Health’s guidance regarding immunization against Covid-19 remains as we have explained: it is necessary for the population to complete the vaccination schedule with two doses of the vaccine and within the specified period – an interval of five months – to return to receive the booster dose”, notes Minister of Health Aloisio Barbosa da Silva Filho, noting He indicated that the ministry is working on various fronts to ensure that the entire population has access to all doses of the vaccine. “The vaccine is the most effective tool to fight Covid-19. Everyone must be vaccinated. In order to reach the entire population, in addition to maintaining vaccination at 13 points, we have health teams actively looking for communities and hard-to-reach areas of the city. In addition, We have integrated COVID-19 vaccination into the health procedures that we carry out weekly at bus stops. It is work aimed at ensuring that everyone is vaccinated and receives all necessary doses of protection,” he highlights.

Half a million doses

Petrópolis should reach the 500,000 dose mark applied against covid-19 in the next few days. To date, there are a total of 490,593 immunizations in the arms of Petropolitan, which have been applied since January 20, 2021, when the vaccination campaign began in the city. This result is equivalent to the sum of the first, second and third doses of vaccines applied to the vaccinated population.

The Ministry of Health is working to get the vaccine for the entire population, so that everyone can complete the vaccination and protection schedule. And we will always work in this direction, following the instructions of the Ministry of Health and doing our best so that all people have access to all necessary doses of the vaccine and can be protected”, confirms Mayor Hengo Hams.

Currently, 246,431 people over the age of 12 have already received a dose, including the single dose that represents 92.32% of the vaccinated population, considering that a population of 266,930 people is able to receive the vaccine. In addition, 217,742 petropolitans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after completing the vaccination schedule with the second or single dose of the disease-fighting vaccines, which represents 81.57% of the vaccinated population. Petropolis has already applied 33,225 booster doses.

We have numbers

As immunization progresses, Petrópolis continues to promote the scenario of declining numbers of hospital admissions, cases and deaths. Data from the Health Department’s Epidemiological Surveillance Department indicates that – with eight deaths recorded – November was the month with the lowest number of confirmed deaths by covid-19 recorded in the city since the start of the epidemic, in March last year, when it was confirmed The first two deaths from disease.

The city also closed today, this Tuesday (7), with only one hospitalized patient in its entire health network, taking into account clinical beds and intensive care units (ICUs) in public and private hospitals. At that time, only Nossa Senhora Aparecida Hospital – a unit associated with the Unified Health System (SUS) – had a resident person in the hospital.