A cobertura vacinal no Brasil na primeira infância

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood immunization is one of the main public health tactics for disease prevention, ensuring the defense of this age group against serious infections and helping to eliminate diseases at a national and global level. However, in recent years, Brazil has experienced an alarming reduction in vaccination coverage, threatening the progress made over the last few decades. This situation is alarming, above all because it puts children and the general population at risk of outbreaks of diseases that were already under control or eradicated in the country, such as measles and polio. Objective: To evaluate Brazil's vaccination coverage in early childhood over time; Using DataSUS, to analyze the reduction in vaccination coverage between 2012 and 2022 for the vaccines on the children's calendar and the increase in diseases whose prophylaxis consists of lack of vaccination; To relate vaccination coverage and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases; To analyze the notification of cases of diseases. Methodology: This is a descriptive and retrospective epidemiological study, of a quantitative nature, based on information from DataSUS, from 2012 to 2022. Vaccines such as BCG, Hepatitis B, Human Rotavirus, Meningococcus C, Penta, Pneumococcal, Yellow Fever, among others, were analyzed. In addition, notifications of vaccine-preventable diseases were examined, as well as deaths associated with these diseases, taking into account the categories of vaccine-preventable diseases such as pertussis, hepatitis, meningitis and measles. The data was tabulated in Microsoft Office Excel and statistically treated in terms of mean, correlations and absolute numbers using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The R 4.2.2 software was used to carry out the statistical analysis, Pearson's correlation tests to verify the relationship between vaccination coverage and the occurrence of deaths. Results and discussion: The analysis showed a considerable reduction in vaccination coverage for most childhood vaccines during the period analyzed. Immunization against yellow fever was the only one to record an increase in uptake, while vital vaccines such as DTP, polio and MMR saw a significant reduction. After 2020, the drop can be attributed mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted on families' ability to go to vaccination posts due to movement restrictions and social distancing measures, as well as the spread of false information on social media, which fostered the rise of the movement against vaccination. The debate indicates that the success of vaccination campaigns in recent decades, which have led to the elimination of various diseases, may also have created a false sense of security in the population, reducing the perception of danger and negatively impacting participation in immunization campaigns. Another aspect noted was the disparity in access to health services between Brazilian regions, where the North and Northeast have the lowest vaccination coverage rates. Conclusion: Based on the results achieved, it was observed that the adoption of strategies to reverse the reduction in child vaccination rates is urgent. Among the suggested actions, we highlight the intensification of educational campaigns to inform the population about the importance of vaccination, the fight against misinformation through joint initiatives between the government and civil society, as well as strengthening the National Immunization Program (PNI), with greater investment in health infrastructure and in training the professionals in charge of vaccination. It is crucial to ensure access to vaccines in all areas of the country, expanding vaccination coverage and safeguarding the health of children and the population as a whole.