The Secretary of Health of Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Luizinho, expressed concern about vaccination coverage in the state, which are among the worst in the country, and announced a pact to reinforce immunization and reduce the number of cases of tuberculosis. The state discussed the issue this Friday (14th) with representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), after the inauguration of the Center for Health Intelligence (CIS). Serious cases of tuberculosis can be prevented with the BCG vaccine, one of the best known and oldest in the Unified Health System (SUS), but the coverage reached by the state of Rio de Janeiro last year was only 76%, according to the System. of Information of the National Immunization Program (SI-PNI). The goal of the Ministry of Health is to vaccinate 90% of babies under one year old, and the percentage in Rio de Janeiro was only higher than in Espírito Santo, where only 63% of babies were vaccinated. The state of Rio also has the second lowest vaccination coverage against poliomyelitis in the country, and occupies the same position in relation to pentavalent vaccine coverage, which prevents against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and against the bacterium haemophilus influenza type b. To reverse the situation, the Secretary of Health defended proposals such as extending the opening hours of vaccination posts and creating units that work from Monday to Sunday, from 8 am to 8 pm. “Our vaccination rates are very tough, so we need to make a great effort to overcome this difficulty. Today, the state of Rio de Janeiro is the second worst in the federation in terms of vaccination coverage”, evaluated Dr. Luizinhoele, who promised to demand results from the municipalities: “I will submit a proposal to the Bipartite Intermanagers Commission of the State of Rio de Janeiro (CIB) whereby, from 2024 onwards, municipalities that do not reach the vaccination rates will not be able to transfer funds from the state.” Specifically on tuberculosis, the secretary said that the state has acquired rapid tests and intends to set up a network to help municipalities bring the exams collected to detect the disease. He also promised to take mobile CT scanners to prisons, where poor ventilation and hygiene conditions favor the spread of the disease. Present at the event, the director of the Pan-American Health Organization/WHO, Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, defended the importance of municipalities in the process of recovering vaccine coverage, since solutions must be developed based on visits to vaccine rooms. Barbosa also highlighted that it is necessary to improve the qualification of the health professional who applies the vaccine, in addition to investing in communication strategies. The Undersecretary of Surveillance and Primary Health Care of the State Department of Health presented a study on the causes of low vaccination coverage in the state, and among them is the neglect of those responsible for children of age to be vaccinated. There are also problems that interfere with the records of vaccines in the system. Among the main ones are the constant updates of the federal government’s computerization system, the slowness of the internet in the city halls, the absence or high turnover of employees, the lack or lack of software, the lack of knowledge of the information system and the centralization of records.
Agência Brasil
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