Meningitis: do I need to get vaccinated after death in Sao Paulo?

This week, the São Paulo Municipal Health Department (SMS) confirmed the death of a 42-year-old woman from meningitis in the region covering Vila Formosa and Aricanduva, two neighborhoods on the east side of the capital. The note, which also revealed four other cases of people infected in the same location, has led many to question whether all adults in the city should be vaccinated against the disease. With this in mind, the contacted SMS to clarify some points; Check out the guidelines below!

The reported case is one of five cases of type C meningococcal meningitis recorded from July 16 to September 15 in the same region, which constitutes an outbreak. In addition to the woman, the other cases concern a 2-month-old baby and adults aged 20, 21 and 61. The outbreak situation in the capital, however, is not the first.

According to a note sent to our website, two more localized outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis occurred in São Paulo this year. The first was recorded between the months of January and March, in Jardim São Luís, where three cases occurred, with two people dead. The second occurred between the months of May and June, in the Pari region, there were two cases, with one death.

“The SMS clarifies that it is considered an outbreak of meningococcal disease when three or more cases of the same type occur in a 90-day period in the same location. In the Pari region, although there were fewer than three cases, it was classified as an outbreak for the number of cases related to the size of the local population.”Said the secretary.

After notifications of cases and deaths in the Vila Formosa region and Aricanduva districts, the intensification of vaccination of residents between 3 months and 64 years of age was strongly recommended, in addition to prevention and control actions by the Health Surveillance Coordination ( Covisa).

Do i need to get vaccinated against meningitis?

: The National Vaccination Campaign against poliomyelitis and multivaccination is currently underway (in addition to the campaign against covid), which is making available several vaccines, including that for meningitis, for the target audience that needs to be immunized against diseases. See the list of vaccines available here.

In its standard schedule, the meningococcal meningitis C immunizer is given to infants at 3, 5, and 12 months, and meningococcal meningitis ACWY is given to the age group 11 to 14. It is worth mentioning here that the multivaccination ends on Friday (30), but in the case of meningococcal ACW it has been extended until June 2023. It is important that parents and guardians take their children to the nearest health centers for immunization, as it aims to prevent many diseases that also run a high risk of returning to Brazil, such as polio, which causes infantile paralysis.

as clarified by the SMS, vaccination against meningitis for adults is recommended and offered only to residents of the districts of the current outbreak (Vila Formosa and Aricanduva). In other places in São Paulo, the vaccination that occurs is routine (the standard). That is, if you do not live or work in these places, you do not need to be vaccinated – the idea is that you are already protected by the routine vaccination received at the ages mentioned above.

It is common for people not to remember all the vaccines they have had during their life, which is why it is essential to have a vaccination booklet. Caring for these documents (and others related to vaccination) can help this organization with regards to vaccinations. Inquiring with the family or at the health unit itself may also be an option. Today there is also ConectSUS, which now centralizes this information. The absence of the vaccination card does not prevent the citizen from getting vaccinated.

“ANDdue to the current outbreak located in the districts of Vila Formosa and Aricanduva, SMS stresses that the intensification of vaccination against meningitis is underway in the area covered by four local basic health units (BHU). To receive the vaccine, people of any age residing in this region must present a residency document and, in the case of those working nearby, simply present a working document, such as a badge, pay slip, up-to-date employment card or statement. with company name, address and stamp”, Indicated the agency.

For residents of the region, the local UBS offering vaccination are: UBS Formosa II, Ambulatory Medical Assistance (AMA) / UBS Integrada Guarani, UBS Jardim Iva and UBS Comendador José Gonzalez.

The Secretariat also clarified that the number of meningitis cases across the city has decreased this year compared to 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic. From January to Monday (26), 56 cases of meningococcal disease were reported throughout the capital. In the same period of 2019 (January-September), 158 cases of illness were recorded, i.e. a reduction of 64.5% in the general perimeter. The number of deaths from illness has also decreased. So far there have been nine in all this year, compared to 28 in 2019.

“It is essential that parents and guardians keep their children’s vaccinations up-to-date to protect them from so-called vaccine-preventable diseases, such as meningococcal meningitis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, among others. Vaccines save lives and this was even more evident in the Covid-19 pandemic, ”warned the municipal health secretary, Luiz Carlos Zamarco.

Post Meningitis: Should I Get Vaccinated After Death in Sao Paulo? first appeared on Digital Look.

Source: Olhar Digital