University Of São Paulo Study Finds Child Vaccination Shows Signs Of Global Recovery After Pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO), together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), released data on the global immunization of children and adolescents. According to the information, there is an advance in the level of vaccination for this public, which indicates signs of recovery after the setback during the coronavirus pandemic.
On the world stage, the vaccine against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), known as the triple bacterial vaccine and used as a global indicator of immunization coverage, for example, showed progress. In 2021, 18.1 million children did not receive any doses; in 2022, that number dropped to 14.3 million. However, the report still points out that the level is far from what was reached in 2019, with 12.9 million.
This relative advance is also observed in the Brazilian context, in which DTP coverage reached 280,000 more in 2022 than in 2021. However, Marta Lopes, professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases at the USP Faculty of Medicine, points out that great efforts to return to pre-pandemic rates.
Causes
In the professor’s view, the return to routine life after the improvement of the pandemic and the promotion of initiatives in favor of vaccination by government authorities and scientific societies are the main factors of this rise in immunization rates.
Gonzalo Vecina Neto, professor at the Faculty of Public Health at USP, also agrees that the reason for this advance is the restructuring of a democratic and technical government, mainly in the composition of Ministries. “With that, the technicians began to do their work in all areas of the Ministry, adding more doctors and vaccines, resuming the Family Health strategy, which underwent a reconstruction process because it had been completely destroyed”, comments the professor.
Historic
Marta and Vecina Neto point out that the process of lack of adherence to immunizations began long before the pandemic period with the cut in funds to the Ministry of Health and the State as a whole, in 2016, during the Temer government. The professor explains that Constitutional Amendment 95, better known as the “spending cap”, directly and immediately impacted the vaccine dynamics in Brazil, as the communication sector, responsible for preparing the campaigns, was greatly affected by the cuts.
“Our vaccination model is not based on continuous care, as is the case in more developed countries through childcare . Our vaccination program is based on campaigns”, clarifies the professor. In addition, Marta points out that the social isolation caused by the pandemic also contributed to the intensification of the drop in childhood vaccination coverage, since people did not leave home to vaccinate their children.
public strategies
The professor says that Brazil still has numerous challenges regarding childhood immunization and, to face them, it is essential to invest in primary health care and in adequate communication for the transmission of correct information about vaccination.
“The field of public health communication has been forgotten and the citizen has the right to it so that he can promote and protect his own health”, says Vecina Neto.
Thus, computerization policies can also combat mistrust in vaccines and, above all, in science, in the professor’s view. In addition, one of the main points raised is the importance of a democratic government that is committed to building the well-being of society.