09/18/2023 – 21:18
Last week, Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) vetoed a bill (PL) that sought to expand prevention, vaccination, awareness and testing of HPV (human papilloma virus) through state schools. In his justification, he states that the Department of Health already has “current public policies” on the subject, promotes “clarification campaigns on infectious diseases and women’s health” and considered the plan “expendable”.
PL 134/2022 was authored by deputies Marina Helou (Rede), Edna Macedo (Republicans), Delegate Graciela (PL) and Patrícia Gama (PSDB) and approved by the Legislative Assembly on August 8. He also envisaged the creation of a State HPV vaccination calendar, which would begin annually in March and would be carried out by health agents who would go directly to state schools to immunize students.
“With the veto, the Government missed the opportunity to reinforce a fundamental campaign for the target audience made up of children and young people between 9 and 14 years old”, said deputy Marina Helou. “A state policy entirely dedicated to awareness, immunization, diagnosis and treatment of the virus, bringing vaccination into the school environment, would have the potential to help prevent girls and women in our state from dying from a preventable disease.”
In his veto, the governor also said that the bill “does not comply with the constitutional guidelines that govern the SUS” and “intervenes in an area reserved for the Executive Branch, in violation of the principle of separation of powers”.
“When we talk about a campaign, we need to remember that the municipality is the one vaccinating. So, I need a bipartite strategy to be successful”, explains Regiane de Paula, health coordinator at the Disease Control Coordination (CCD), when Estadão.
According to Regiane, “partnerships are always welcome”, but a strategy to take vaccination to schools must “be carried out in many hands” and also involve the Education departments and municipal authorities. “If not, it violates the principle of universality. We have children and teenagers who are in private schools and municipal schools who would not be covered by this project. We need this triangulation. Technically, that’s the only way it’s going to happen.”
Brazil is below the HPV vaccination target
Still in March, a study released by the Cancer Foundation showed that all Brazilian capitals and regions are below the target set by the National Immunization Program (PNI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for HPV vaccination coverage, which should be 90% for the eradication of the disease by 2030.
According to the research, vaccination coverage of the female population between 9 and 14 years old reaches 76% for the first dose and 57% for the second dose throughout Brazil. Adherence to the second dose is lower than the first, varying between 50% and 62%, depending on the region. The national rate among men is even lower.
“Today, the low coverage rates are for all vaccines. We are also concerned about polio, for example. We agree with something that is multivaccination and that several diseases are covered”, says Regiane de Paula. “We always look at the big picture.”
The National Multivaccination Campaign is an initiative launched in February by the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with state and municipal authorities, to update vaccination coverage for children and adolescents up to 15 years of age. According to the federal government, one of the objectives of the action is to restore “the Brazilian population’s confidence in vaccines” and the “country’s vaccination culture”.
In São Paulo, the National Multivaccination Campaign begins on the 30th and continues until October 14th and covers all vaccines scheduled in the national calendar, including against covid-19, influenza and HPV. To participate, parents and guardians of children and adolescents up to 15 years of age simply need to take their vaccination card to one of the registered health centers.
The HPV vaccine is safe and is available free of charge in the SUS for boys and girls aged 9 to 14, in a two-dose schedule; and for transplanted women and men, cancer patients, people with HIV, aged 9 to 45 years, on a three-dose schedule.
If you have any questions about any vaccine, the state government offers the Vacina100Dúvida service free of charge. Access clicking here.
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