Ministry of health intends to replace oral polio vaccine with injectable vaccine

O Ministry of Health announced that it is evaluating the change in the application of the polio vaccine, which is currently given orally, to a more improved version of the vaccine, which will be injected. In the current version, the two booster doses of the polio vaccine are offered in drops for children up to one year old.

According to the folder, the replacement of the vaccine should occur gradually from next year and after evaluating the Technical Advisory Board on Immunizations (CTAI).

The oral vaccine has been on the calendar since the 1960s. All children under five years of age must be vaccinated according to the routine vaccination schedule and in the national and annual campaigns.

According to the Ministry of Health, since 2016, the vaccination schedule against poliomyelitis has changed to three doses of the injectable vaccine; VIP (2, 4 and 6 months) plus two booster doses with the bivalent oral vaccine – VOP (droplet).

The change in the way the vaccine is applied, however, will not remove the character Zé Gotinha from government campaigns. The character was created in 1986 to help publicize the program and is a trademark.

The disease, also known as infantile paralysis, had been certified as eradicated in the country since 1994. However, there has been low vaccination coverage in recent years, bringing greater concern to the federal government and a possible return of the epidemic.

This Thursday (15), the Minister of Health of the Lula government, Nísia Trindade, stated that it is necessary for the country to reinforce vaccination coverage against poliomyelitis in order to prevent the disease from circulating again in Brazil. “We still don’t have the strength we need and the Senate is fundamental for vaccination to become the pride of our country as it once was.“.

_{The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade (Photo: Reproduction/Fabio Rodrigues-Pozzebom/ Agência Brasil)}

The low vaccination coverage of the last four years, made Brazil, in September of last year, enter the list of Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) from countries with high risk for the disease.

Featured Photo: Child receiving polio vaccine. Reproduction/Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil)