The return of polio is a "real risk" in Brazil because of low vaccination rates

Brazilian medical institutions on Thursday alerted the population and health professionals of "the real possibility of the return of poliomyelitis" and the new "emergency" that measles "in the because of low vaccination rates

The Brazilian Pediatric Societies (SBP), Immunizations (SBIM) and Infectology (SBI), in collaboration with the Rotary International Organization, also urged Brazilians to ] vaccinate for contain the outbreak of measles that emerged in the north of the country and prevent the onset of polio.

Entities collected their warnings and recommendations in a published manifesto yesterday at an event held in a hospital in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, which brought together specialists on the subject.

"Vaccination continues to be the best tool in promotion and maintenance Ministry of Health in a note

They also invited everyone to participate in the vaccination campaign against poliomyelitis and measles that will be developed of 6 on August 31 throughout the national territory.

Vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella, included in the triple viral, has been declining for three years in the country and in 2017 had 85% coverage then that in 2014 was close to 100% according to official data.

According to data from World Health Organization (WHO), three countries are still considered endemic to polio (Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan), of which Brazil has been free since 1990.

The coordinator of the National Immunization Program of the Ministry of Health, Carla Domingues, stand out or in the fact that the maintenance of a protected population, thanks to a high immunization coverage, is essential to prevent the emergence of vaccine preventable diseases.

"Immunization coverage is heterogeneous in Brazil, which can lead to the formation of bags of unvaccinated persons which allows the reintroduction of poliomyelitis and the measles virus "Domingues says."

"The recent epidemic in the country, in (the state of) Roraima and (the city of) Manaus, prove our inadequate immunization coverage and the urgent need to improve these rates, "he completed

. of the year 822 confirmed cases of measles, most of them in the states of Amazonas and Roraima, in the north of the country and on the border with Venezuela, while others about 4,000 are investigated by the authorities.