The flu immunization campaign in Brazil will begin on March 25, as announced by the Ministry of Health. This action takes place earlier than usual – normally between April and May – due to the increase in cases of respiratory diseases in the country. The ministry also managed the early delivery of vaccines, with distribution to the Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South states scheduled to begin on March 20. It is worth mentioning that, due to the specific climatic characteristics, the municipalities in the North region already carried out vaccination between November and December of last year.
According to the ministry, the vaccine prevents viruses that generally begin to circulate in the country in the months of May, June and July. This Wednesday (29), the Secretary of Health and Environmental Surveillance, Ethel Maciel, said that the department has been observing an anticipation of the circulation of respiratory viruses in Brazil.
The dose used is trivalent and, therefore, has three types of strains combined, protecting against the main viruses circulating in Brazil. The ministry’s estimate is that 75 million people will be immunized. The folder informs that the influenza vaccine can be administered at the same time as other vaccines on the National Vaccination Calendar.
Target Audience
– Children aged 6 months to under 6 years;
– Indigenous children aged 6 months to under 9 years;
– Health workers;
– Pregnant women;
– Postpartum women;
– Teachers of basic and higher education;
– Indian people;
– Elderly people aged 60 or over;
– People living on the streets;
– Security and rescue forces professionals;
– Armed Forces professionals;
– People with chronic non-communicable diseases and other special clinical conditions (regardless of age);
– People with permanent disabilities;
– Truck drivers;
– Public road transport workers (urban and long-distance);
– Port workers;
– Employees of the deprivation of liberty system;
– Population deprived of liberty, in addition to adolescents and young people under socio-educational measures (between 12 and 21 years old).
Children who will receive the vaccine for the first time must take two doses, with an interval of 30 days between them.
