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The State Department of Health (Sesa) begins this Monday (25th) the annual flu vaccination campaign throughout Paraná. Following the guidance of the Ministry of Health (MS), the campaign, which was brought forward in the South, Northeast, Central-West and Southeast regions, continues until May 31st, with April 13th being D-Day of national mobilization.
To meet the demand of priority groups, which is 4,556,962 people across the State, Paraná received 440,000 doses of the vaccine, which have already been distributed to the 22 Health Regions. According to the federal ministry, more doses will be made available in shipments throughout the vaccination period.
The State Secretary of Health, Beto Preto, recalls that the period of low temperatures is approaching, which will increase the circulation of respiratory viruses. “The vaccine is the main measure to reduce the risks of contagion and complications caused by the Influenza virus. Therefore, it is very important that the population belonging to priority groups seeks one of the 1,850 vaccination rooms spread across 399 municipalities to carry out immunization”, he warns.
The goal is to immunize at least 90% of each of the priority groups for vaccination against influenza: children, pregnant women, postpartum women, elderly people aged 60 or over and indigenous peoples.
The priority groups are also made up of health workers, primary and higher education teachers, homeless people, security and rescue forces professionals, armed forces professionals, people with chronic non-communicable diseases and other clinical conditions. special needs (regardless of age) and people with permanent disabilities.
The priority groups also include truck drivers, public road transport workers (urban and long-distance), port workers, employees of the deprivation of liberty system, the population deprived of liberty, as well as adolescents and young people under socio-educational measures (among 12 and 21 years old).
“It is important to highlight that the Influenza vaccine can be applied simultaneously with other vaccines that are part of the National Immunization Program, with the exception of the dengue vaccine”, highlights Beto Preto.
DATA – Last year, the target audience for flu vaccination in Paraná included 4,628,252 people. The State reached 55.40% overall vaccination coverage for priority groups and 52.61% coverage for indigenous peoples.
Due to the availability of doses in health units, the Department of Health opened vaccination to the general population, reaching 3,298,041 doses applied in total. Paraná ranked 6th in the ranking of states that vaccinated the most, behind Rio Grande do Sul (3,592,450 doses), Bahia (3,965,527), Rio de Janeiro (4,313,945), Minas Gerais (7,452,798) and São Paulo (14,429,728).
In 2023, 996 cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) due to Influenza and 97 deaths were reported. According to the 2nd Epidemiological Report on Monitoring Respiratory Viruses, published this month, in 2024 Paraná recorded 37 cases and five deaths from SARS due to Influenza.
CARE – In addition to the vaccine, other preventive care can be taken to avoid contracting the flu. The guidelines include: wearing a mask, social distancing, maintaining ventilated environments with free air circulation, hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms.
VIRUS – Influenza is a highly transmissible viral infection that affects the respiratory system. The incubation period for viruses is generally two days, varying between one and four days.
Cases can range from mild to severe and lead to death. They occur more frequently in individuals who present risk factors or conditions for complications of the infection: children aged 6 months to under 6 years of age, pregnant women, elderly people aged 60 or over and people with chronic non-communicable diseases and other clinical conditions specials.
The main symptoms of the flu are fever, body aches, sore throat, cough and headache.
