Samuel Santos, 14 years old, is a 6th year student at the public school in Brasília and had to spend 21 days in hospital recently after contracting dengue fever. The fear of contracting another preventable disease was an additional incentive for him to participate this Wednesday (13) in the National Movement for Vaccination in the School Community. He was immunized against HPV and highlighted the importance of keeping the vaccination schedule up to date. “I was scared, but it’s really good. The girl has a light hand,” he joked. “I think it’s very important. The message is for everyone to get vaccinated,” he added.
Student Gabriel Mota, 11 years old, is also studying the 6th year in the public school system in the Federal District and, like Samuel, was immunized against HPV during an action promoted by the Ministry of Health.
“It is very important to vaccinate against HPV to avoid diseases in the future. The message I give is for my colleagues to get vaccinated because this vaccine is very important,” she said. “I already had the flu, I had something in my stomach that hurt a lot. Now, I’m very calm, thank God. But the important thing is to vaccinate”, he guaranteed.
Ana Gabriela Feitosa, 13 years old, a 7th year student at the public school in the federal capital, was the third student to be immunized against HPV in the action promoted by the federal government.
After receiving the dose, she asked her colleagues to participate in the movement for vaccination in schools. “Get vaccinated, please. Vaccination helps you not get the flu and many other things. It’s very important. My sister and mother got the flu. My mother also caught dengue. It’s important to get vaccinated,” she said.
For Pedro Pimentel, director of the Asa Norte Elementary Education Center, in Brasília, where the action took place, it is necessary to “rebuild trust in school, in science and, above all, in life”.
“It is time to rebuild trust in health, education and the vaccine. Because the vaccine saves our lives”, said, at the end, the Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade. “This effort belongs to everyone. From health, education, communication and all those who want to defend life and who know that the vaccine is one of the most important instruments for this.”
“The school has always been a central place for health and will continue to do so”, concluded the minister.
Vaccination in schools
Promoted by the Ministries of Health and Education, the National Movement for Vaccination in the School Community aims to update the records of children and adolescents under 15 years of age with immunizations offered in children’s multivaccination. Doses against polio, yellow fever, meningitis and HPV, in addition to the triple virus (measles, mumps and rubella), are some of the highlights for the age group.
Data from the Ministry of Health show that, in 2023, almost 4 thousand Brazilian municipalities adopted the strategy. Throughout last year, for example, more than 6.1 million doses of the HPV vaccine were administered – the highest number since 2018 and an increase of 42% compared to 2022.
Health at School
The Health at School Program was created in 2007 with the aim of improving students’ health, reducing school dropouts and intermittent attendance due to health problems, in addition to reinforcing the commitments and pacts established by health and education in Brazil.
*Renato Ribeiro, reporter for Rádio Nacional, contributed
