The Ministry of Health indicated that to prevent these diseases, all children between 1 and 6 years of age should receive an additional dose of the MMR vaccine, and children between 6 months and 4 years of age, the oral polio vaccine ( bOPV).
Poliomyelitis, measles, rubella syndrome, rubella, yellow fever and diphtheria are diseases that can be prevented by vaccination. For this reason, the Ministry of Health urges parents to complete the regular vaccination schedule for their children, applying the additional dose against these diseases.
In this sense, the National Campaign against Measles, Polio and Rubella has the goal of vaccinating 95% of the target population, in at least 80% of the 255 districts of the national territory.
The Expanded Program on Immunizations (EPI) reported that, this week, it continues with a 44% coverage with bOPV, in total to date 281,069 boys and girls are immunized. It should be remembered that the goal is to vaccinate 636,611 boys and girls from 6 months to 4 years of age against poliomyelitis.
As for the SPR/SR, of the 846,952 boys and girls between the ages of 1 and 6 that is targeted, 353,848 vaccines were administered, with 42% total coverage.
IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF VACCINES
The health portfolio recalled that Paraguay has been free of measles for 23 years, but is surrounded by cases in neighboring countries, so the possibility of contagion is very high. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), measles, rubella, and polio can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. These diseases can be prevented with vaccination.
Through immunization, in addition to the reduction in cases of pertussis or whooping cough between 1980 and 2021, from 886 cases to 5 cases, the following diseases have not been recorded again since the last cases, which are the following:
– 1985: last case of poliomyelitis.
– 1998: last case of measles.
– 2003: last case of congenital rubella syndrome.
– 2005: last case of rubella.
– 2008: last yellow fever case.
– 2011: last case of diphtheria.
– Certification of the elimination of measles/rubella in Paraguay, year 2015.
