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The Secretary of State for Health asked today not to delay the vaccination of children, otherwise “Portugal may face outbreaks of other diseases” and guaranteed that “the National Health Service (SNS) is prepared to respond.”
“Although we are going through a difficult period and time, parents should not postpone the vaccination of their children, otherwise Portugal will face an outbreak of other preventable infectious diseases with potentially serious consequences later,” said the Secretary of State for Health.
The warning comes as a result of an abrupt drop in visits to the health center to administer the VASPR vaccine, administered at 12 months and five years, as a result of fears associated with the covid-19 pandemic.
According to Jornal de Notícias, between March 15 and April 15, 13,277 fewer babies were vaccinated in Portugal and the country already has almost as many measles cases as those diagnosed during 2019.
Starting on April 20, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also stressed the importance of national governments maintaining their vaccination plans to avoid a greater impact of the covid pandemic. 19.
The two organizations reiterate that maintaining routine immunization services during the covid-19 pandemic is vital, and recall that the current situation “is a sign that infectious diseases know no borders.”
“All countries are vulnerable, regardless of the levels of wealth or the strength of their health systems. The urgent need for a vaccine for covid-19 highlights the central role of immunization in protecting lives and economies, ”can be read in the joint statement of the two entities.
In view of the current pandemic situation, WHO and UNICEF consider the importance of routine national immunization programs “to be more critical than ever.”
“Governments must take every possible opportunity to protect people from the many diseases for which vaccines are already available,” they emphasize, recalling that protecting children, adolescents, and adults from vaccine-preventable diseases is a necessity for systems sustainability. Of health.
“We know that vulnerability to infectious diseases is a threat to public health everywhere,” says Afshan Khan, UNICEF regional director for Europe and Central Asia.
“It is essential that immunization programs continue during this crisis, adequately protecting health professionals and people receiving vaccines. However, reaching the most vulnerable children, who have lost routine vaccinations, should be a priority, “he warns.
If the fight against the covid-19 pandemic causes temporary interruptions in immunization services, WHO and UNICEF consider that countries should plan to resume them as soon as possible once the situation has stabilized.
“We can avoid a greater impact of covid-19 on health systems by ensuring that people of all ages remain vaccinated according to national schedules. I call on countries to maintain the delivery of immunization services and meet their needs, even at this difficult time, ”asked Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
In a final note, the WHO and UNICEF, anticipating the existence of a vaccine for covid-19, ask all countries to be prepared to vaccinate the highest risk groups and ensure that all, including the most marginalized, have the same access when available.
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Text: Marta Amorim with Lusa
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