Adherence to the dengue vaccine in SC is up against misinformation, says Health Department

Immunizations are only being applied to children and adolescents aged 10 to 14, in the Northeast and Greater Florianópolis regions (Photo: Ricardo Trida, Secom SC)

Covering only 22% of the target audience, the vaccination campaign against dengue is progressing below expectations by the State Department of Health (SES) of Santa Catarina. For now, the vaccines are only being applied to children and adolescents aged 10 to 14, in the Northeast and Greater Florianópolis regions.

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— Due to the epidemiological scenario we are experiencing, we thought that the demand for the vaccine would be greater. This is not just a question of the health service, it is also a question of people’s demand — says the director of Epidemiological Surveillance at SES, João Fucks.

In the Northeast region, which was the first to receive the batch of vaccines, on February 24, vaccination coverage is 31.49%, while in Greater Florianópolis, which began vaccinating on April 8, coverage is 13. 3%. In relation to the number of doses received so far, the Capital region is advancing faster: in two weeks, 47.3% of the shipment has already been applied, compared to 77.3% achieved in two months in the Northeast of the State.

According to the director, several factors explain the low adherence:

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— With the Covid vaccine, we had a lot of discussions and false information circulating. The vaccine was called into question on many occasions. A lack of safety was alleged and I think people were quite afraid, despite the vaccines being safe. Even these newer vaccines that are being incorporated by the SUS have gone through several phases of study and are quite safe.

Another issue is the difficulty in reaching the target audience.

— Vaccinating teenagers is not that simple. It is not a public that goes to the health unit spontaneously. It’s a challenge that we’ve already seen with HPV and meningitis vaccination. It’s not like children, parents already have a calendar created in the first year of life. They are different strategies.

Strategies to expand vaccination

João Fucks says that the state government is discussing strategies with municipalities, such as relocating doses. Recently, other states in Brazil had to rearrange vaccines that were close to reaching their expiration date.

— We’re going to have to work a lot with communication to make people aware that the dengue vaccine is important — he says.

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The expansion of the age range for vaccination, according to the director, is not yet being discussed. The decision is made by the state government in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for managing the National Immunization Program.