Health seeks pastors to expand vaccination against Covid – 05/19/2023 – Health

The Ministry of Health tries to get closer to religious leaders so that they publicize among the faithful the importance of vaccination against Covid. The measure is part of the government’s efforts to intensify coverage in the country, which raises concerns at the top of the folder.

The management of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in Health has among its priorities reversing years of anti-vaccination campaign by the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The folder also plans to intensify investments in communication and has been demanding more results from the state and municipal secretaries in the area.

The need to involve religious leaders in the immunization campaign has already been addressed by Lula himself while still in transition. He referred to the subject when demanding the accountability of those who propagated fake news about vaccination.

“I intend to look for several evangelical churches and discuss with their head: ‘Look, what is your behavior on this issue of vaccines?'”, said Lula in November during a videoconference with SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde) managers. “Or we’re going to hold you accountable for people’s deaths,” said the then-president-elect.

According to documents obtained by the Sheetthe Ministry of Health has expressed concern to states and municipalities about the reduction in orders for delivery of doses and with vaccine stocks.

The data show a low percentage of children who received both doses of Covid-19. In a letter dated April 19 of this year, the ministry led by Nísia Trindade pointed out that no state had more than 30% of the group of children aged between 6 months and 4 years vaccinated with both rounds.

The ministry also stated in the documents that the states began to ask for fewer doses. “The drop in requests, possibly due to the decrease in demand by the population, increases the risk of expiration of these vaccines.”

Such as Sheet revealed, the folder has already lost 39 million doses against Covid-19, purchased for about R$ 2 billion, from the beginning of the pandemic until March. This data only considers what was stored at the ministry and was not even delivered to the states.

Most (about 27 million) won in 2023, but SUS managers blame the Bolsonaro administration for these losses. That’s because the doses were inherited with a short validity, and the former president discouraged vaccination, especially in children.

The Lula administration, however, takes it for granted that part of the immunizers purchased this year will also expire. It is normal that there are losses in immunization campaigns, but the fear is that the volume will be high, expensive and generate criticism of the PT government.

One of the letters states that the states requested 41.7 million doses of immunizers from January to mid-April 2023. The number is lower than that requested in June 2022 (about 45.5 million), according to a document included in the same process and sent in 2022.

The Ministry of Health was contacted, but did not comment on the immunization campaign.

Alexandre Naime, vice president of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases and professor at Unesp (São Paulo State University), considers it relevant to approach religious leaders, as well as professors and influencers.

“It is very important because he is talking to a messenger who is very close to the community and who has the power of opinion with the faithful, for example. Vaccination remains important because the virus continues to circulate and even children are still hospitalized”, he highlights.

Folder members have been asking in public statements for people to vaccinate themselves. Nísia said that Covid-19 is not over after the WHO (World Health Organization) declared that the disease is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

“For this reason, vaccination remains a fundamental action. We need everyone’s mobilization to expand vaccination coverage and combat misinformation that questions the safety and efficacy of immunizers”, declared the minister.