Ministry of Health Launches Border Vaccination Campaign

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, launched on Monday, September 16th, in Ponta Porã (Mato Grosso do Sul), the ‘Movimento Vacina Brasil’ (“Brazil Vaccine Movement”) in the Borders, with surveillance enhancement actions in five Brazilian cities bordering the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay).

“One of the main actions is to improve and strengthen vaccination coverage, in partnership with all of our neighbors. We can greatly increase these partnerships with the countries bordering Brazil, guaranteeing protection for all,” said Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta.

The Brazil Border Vaccine Movement runs from September 16th to September 27th. Brazil has sent 37,000 extra doses of the triple viral vaccine (measles) and 4,000 doses of yellow fever vaccine to the campaign’s focus regions. Only the city of Barra do Quaraí, in Rio Grande do Sul, has requested additional doses for yellow fever from the Ministry of Health. Thus, 4,000 doses of the vaccine have been sent to the city of Rio Grande do Sul.

In Brazil, the action is taking place in the cities of Ponta Porã (Mato Grosso do Sul), Dioníosio Cerqueira (Santa Catarina), Barra do Quaraí (Rio Grande do Sul), and Foz do Iguaçu and Barracão (Paraná). In Paraguay, in Pedro Juan Caballero and Ciudad del Este. In Argentina, the action will take place in Bernardo de Irigoyen and Puerto Iguazú. In Uruguay, vaccination takes place in Bela Unión.

Brazil has recorded 3,339 confirmed cases of measles in 16 states over the past 90 days. Santa Catarina, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Rio Grande do Sul are among the states with active disease outbreaks.

Earlier this year, the yellow fever virus was found to be circulating in the Southern Region of Brazil. Up to May 31st, 85 cases and 15 deaths from the disease were confirmed in the country, of which 14 cases and three deaths in the Southern Region. Most of those infected are young male adults who live or work in rural areas.

Source: Agência Brasil