Brazil will lose its measles-free status.
In a statement, Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta reported that vaccination rates have fallen sharply in recent years and need to return to the 95% level; as of March 19 of this year, 48 cases of measles have been confirmed in Brazil, 20 of which were imported and 28 endemic.
Brazil Agency - Brazil will lose its measles-free country certification. The Ministry of Health informed the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Tuesday (19) of the registration of an endemic measles case in Pará, on February 23 of this year. Therefore, the country will begin a one-year plan to regain the status. As a result, Brazil will lose its certification as a measles-free country and will begin the plan to regain the title, granted by PAHO in 2016, within the next 12 months.
In a statement, Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta reported that vaccination rates have fallen sharply in recent years and need to return to the 95% level. “Our plan consists of submitting important measures to the National Congress, such as requiring a vaccination certificate, which is not a barrier, for school enrollment and military service. We will also strengthen vaccination monitoring through income integration programs and as a standard for healthcare workers,” he said. The minister added that a secretariat will be created to monitor immunization rates in the country.
Another measure is the launch of a campaign in April to encourage vaccination against the disease in the states of Amazonas, Roraima, and Pará, which have been registering active transmission of the virus since last year. The focus of the immunization is on children from six months to under five years old, a population with the lowest immunization rate and the most vulnerable.
The first cases of the disease were identified in February 2018. Following these cases, vaccination efforts were intensified, with specific campaigns in Roraima and Manaus during the first half of the year. The national campaign for children took place in August.
Measles
According to the Ministry of Health, as of March 19 of this year, 48 cases of measles have been confirmed in Brazil, 20 of which were imported and 28 endemic. Of the endemic cases, 23 were registered in Pará and five in Amazonas.
In 2018, the country had 10.326 cases of the disease, with a peak in July (3.950 cases).