The seventh edition of the ISI (International Symposium on Immunobiologicals), opened this Tuesday (2), warns of the high risk of polio returning to Brazil. The disease, eradicated in the country since 1989, can kill or cause serious motor sequelae.
In one of the debates of the day, researchers pointed to low coverage as the main reason for concern with infantile paralysis, as the disease is also known.
The event is promoted by the Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals, in Rio de Janeiro.
The president of the Polio Technical Chamber of the Ministry of Health, Luiza Helena Falleiros, highlighted the set of factors that led to this scenario and said that there is an obvious risk. “With the constant immigration process, low vaccination coverage, continued use of the oral vaccine, inadequate sanitation, anti-vaccination groups and lack of environmental surveillance, we are going to see the return of polio. What a tragedy foretold,” she said.
Luiza Helena recalled that vaccines are always said to be victims of their own success. “Today no one else has seen a case of polio. There is no notion of enormous risk, but it exists. And there is no miracle, no secret. You have to vaccinate.”
The researcher cited a study by the Regional Committee for the Certification of Polio 2022 Eradication, of the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), which points to Brazil as the second country in the Americas with the highest risk of the return of poliomyelitis, behind only Haiti.
A recent case of the disease was confirmed in Loreto, Peru, which increased border surveillance. 30 years ago, the continent was free of records of the disease.
vaccination coverage
According to the Ministry of Health, last year, vaccination coverage for the disease in Brazil was 77.16%, far below the rate of 95% recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) to prevent the circulation of the virus.
At today’s symposium, the reasons for the so-called vaccine hesitancy were discussed. José Cassio de Morais, temporary adviser to the Pan American Health Organization, said that coverage depends mainly on confidence in the vaccines distributed by the government, on how to manage the fear of vaccine reaction, on the difficulty of accessing posts, on the level of family income and the education of the population. To improve the current situation, Morais defended more investment in campaigns and quality information.
“It is important to remember that vaccination, in addition to individual protection, is collective protection. We saw this in the Covid-19 issue, where many people did not want to get vaccinated. And we need to pay attention to the issue of social communication. We have an avalanche of fake news about vaccines that bring a lot of harm to the population. But we have almost no positive news about the vaccine. There has been very little publicity for the influenza vaccination campaign, for example. We have to improve this, publicize the positive facts in relation to the vaccine better”, said the PAHO advisor.
