Vaccination schedule is essential for reducing fatal cases of COVID-19, points out FVS-RCP

Manaus (AM) – Amazonas presents an 83% reduction in the number of deaths from Covid-19. To continue with the preventive measure against serious and fatal cases of COVID-19, the State Department of Health of Amazonas, through the Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation – Dr. Rosemary Costa Pinto (FVS-RCP), highlights the importance of updating the vaccination schedule.

In the period from January to February 2023, there were 30 deaths due to Covid-19. In the first two months of 2024, fatal cases reduced to five, all of which were registered between the 8th and 14th of January. Of the five deaths recorded this year, three patients had comorbidities, which is one of the risk factors for worsening the disease. All five people had an outdated vaccination schedule and delayed administration of the booster vaccine.

Since the beginning of immunization against the disease, FVS-RCP has strengthened efforts to ensure that the population has access to vaccination against the disease through the strategic distribution of doses to the state’s 62 municipalities. Vaccination adherence, combined with continuous updating of the vaccination schedule, played a strategic role in protecting public health.

“The 83% reduction in the number of deaths from Covid-19 is a positive impact and vaccination is part of strategies to mitigate the effects of the disease. We reinforce that the population seeks to update the vaccination schedule in accordance with the guidelines established by the health authorities”,

emphasizes the CEO of FVS-RCP, Tatyana Amorim.

In addition to preventing serious cases and deaths from the disease, updating the vaccination schedule is essential to ensure the continued effectiveness of vaccines against emerging variants of the virus, protecting the population against possible future outbreaks.

“It is important that we maintain the momentum of vaccination. Updating the vaccination schedule not only protects individuals, but also contributes to building a collective barrier against the spread of the virus,”

emphasized the person responsible for Epidemiological Surveillance at FVS-RCP, Alexsandro Melo.

Pensioner Maria da Guia Silva, aged 63, is one of the people who keeps her vaccination schedule up to date. Having heart disease, she says she worries about the worsening of cases. “It is important to always protect yourself. I keep following the news to stay up to date. I remember the disease well, what it was like during the pandemic, and it’s something I don’t want to go through,” she says.

Vaccination continues to be an effective weapon in combating Covid-19. In Amazonas, 9.8 million doses of vaccine against Covid-19 have already been administered. Vaccination is available at municipal vaccination centers.

Monitoring and prevention

Amazonas faces a rainy season, which coincides with the seasonal period of respiratory viruses, until at least the month of May. The FVS-RCP reinforces that, still in December 2023, it issued Technical Note nº 022/2023, warning about the seasonal period of respiratory viruses, highlighting the importance of disease prevention and control measures. The document is available at: .

Also during the seasonal period of respiratory viruses, in January 2024, the FVS-RCP released Technical Note No. 002/2024 reinforcing the importance of maintaining preventive and control measures against Covid-19. The document is available at:

In addition to updating the vaccination schedule to reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, non-pharmacological preventive measures include: respiratory etiquette (covering the mouth and nose with a tissue or using the forearm to cough or sneeze); hand hygiene with 70% alcohol or soap and water; ventilation, cleaning and disinfection of environments; isolation of confirmed cases and use of respiratory protection masks.

Masks are recommended, mainly, for people with risk factors for complications from respiratory diseases (people with immunosuppressive diseases, the elderly, pregnant women and people with multiple comorbidities), in situations of greater risk of infection by respiratory viruses, such as closed places, with crowding and in health services.

The recommendation for masks is also aimed at people with respiratory symptoms and to protect healthy people (when in contact with someone infected) or to control the source of infection (when used by someone infected to prevent transmission).

*With information from consultancy

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