'Bolsonaro has brought back the risk of polio after 30 years,' says Haddad.
A candidate for governor of São Paulo attributes the return of the polio risk, after three decades, to the irresponsibility of Jair Bolsonaro. "The result of a denialist government."
Current Brazil Network - The candidate for governor of São Paulo and former minister Fernando Haddad (PT) attributed this Friday (7) the return of the risk of polio after three decades to the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), who is running for reelection. “This is the result of a denialist government that does not carry out vaccination campaigns in a country that had been a world example of immunization since the 70s,” said the PT member, via Twitter.
And he concluded, citing official data: “The São Paulo state health department announced that 80% of municipalities in São Paulo are at very high or high risk for polio. If the São Paulo government isn't doing its part, you can. If your child hasn't been vaccinated yet, go to a health center today.”
Polio has been a threat to Brazilian children – and adults as well – ever since vaccination coverage began to reach minimum safety levels in the country. This started in 2013, marking the beginning of the anti-vaccine movement, which was later fueled by Bolsonaro's policies.
Along with this came the systematic attacks on the SUS (Brazilian public healthcare system) after the 2016 coup, which brought Michel Temer to power and fueled the privatization frenzy. Resistance to vaccines in general from a significant portion of the population intensified with the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is that the more children without vaccines there are, the lower the herd immunity becomes, favoring the formation of pockets of vulnerable people.
And by all indications, polio has already claimed its first victim in Brazil after the disease was eradicated in 1994. The Pará State Health Department is investigating the contagion of a 3-year-old child, residing in the interior of the state, who has paralysis and tested positive for poliovirus (Sabin Like 3) found in feces.
The statement, however, affirms that other possibilities need to be considered. “Other diagnostic hypotheses have not been ruled out, such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome.” This is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's own immune system attacks part of the central nervous system. This, in turn, connects to other parts of the body. Because of this, the investigation continues according to the epidemiological surveillance protocols of the Ministry of Health.
Poliomyelitis is an acute contagious disease caused by a virus (wild poliovirus) that affects the central nervous system. It can be fatal depending on the severity of the infection in the brain. It has claimed millions of victims worldwide over decades. In some cases, it puts the muscles of the lower limbs or even those involved in breathing and swallowing at risk. And it can also affect adults.
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