States in the Northern Region of the country will hold this Saturday (28) the D-Day of Mobilization of the Influenza Vaccination Campaign. The proposal, according to the Ministry of Health, is to immunize the population and reduce the incidence of serious cases of the disease. The target groups defined by the folder to receive the dose include:
– children aged 6 months to under 6 years (5 years, 11 months and 29 days);
– health workers;
– pregnant women;
– teachers of basic education and higher education;
– indigenous peoples;
– elderly people aged 60 or over;
– people living on the streets;
– professionals from security and rescue forces;
– professionals from the Armed Forces;
– people with chronic non-communicable diseases and other special clinical conditions;
– truck drivers;
– workers in public road transport for urban and long-distance passengers;
– port workers;
– population deprived of liberty;
– employees of the deprivation of liberty system;
– teenagers and young people aged 12 to 21 under socio-educational measures.
The Influenza Vaccination Campaign in the North Region began on September 2nd and runs until October 26th. Immunization is carried out annually, before the period of greatest circulation of the virus, which coincides with winter in many regions of the country. The North, however, has a specific calendar, as the climate and circulation of the virus differ from the rest of Brazil.
Influenza vaccination. Photo: Marcello Casal JrAgência Brasil
In a statement, the ministry reported that it had acquired around 6.6 million doses against trivalent influenza to ensure vaccination of the target population. “In addition to protecting against the flu, vaccination also helps reduce the burden on the healthcare system, which can be worsened by the simultaneous occurrence of other respiratory diseases such as Covid-19.”
“Vaccination is considered the best prevention strategy against influenza and has the capacity to promote immunity during the period of greatest circulation of the virus, reducing the worsening of the disease, hospitalizations and the number of deaths”, highlighted the ministry.
Also according to the statement, the influenza vaccine can be administered together with other immunizers from the National Vaccination Calendar and also with other medications, “using different syringes and needles in different anatomical locations”.
The goal is to immunize at least 90% of each of the priority groups. To date, the North Region has administered just over 829 thousand doses, with a total estimate of 6.5 million people to be vaccinated throughout the campaign.
Flu
Influenza is an acute infection of the respiratory system, caused by the Influenza virus, with great transmission potential. There are four types of viruses: A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics, with Influenza A responsible for major pandemics.
