The Government of SP alerts the population to the risk of contamination by Yellow Fever after the state registered, on March 29, the first death confirmed by the disease in 2024, and reinforces the importance of vaccination against the disease. The case involved a 50-year-old man, resident of Águas de Lindóia and who was also traveling through the Monte Sião region in Minas Gerais. Furthermore, a case was identified in the rural area of Serra Negra, involving a 28-year-old man, who was vaccinated and recovered completely.
The State Department of Health (SES) intensified health surveillance and vaccination actions in the regions, reinforcing the importance and raising awareness about routine immunization, not just during epidemic times to avoid more serious cases. The Yellow Fever vaccine is part of the immunization schedule and is available at state health centers. Until April 22nd, throughout the state, vaccination coverage against Yellow Fever was 68.47% for children under one year of age.
Since April 2017, Brazil has adopted a vaccination schedule of just one dose for a lifetime, a measure that is in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). Every person who lives in Areas with Vaccine Recommendation against yellow fever and people who will travel to these areas must be immunized at least 10 days before traveling.
In 2018, due to the numerous cases of the disease, the Ministry of Health adopted the splitting of doses of the yellow fever vaccine in three states: Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The measure was recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as one of the immunization strategies, as it is an emergency. Therefore, it is important to remember that anyone who was vaccinated at the time with a fractional dose must undergo a new vaccination after an interval of eight years.
Regiane de Paula, coordinator of State Health Surveillance, emphasizes the importance of following the vaccination booklet. “The split vaccine is valid for eight years, so it is crucial to keep your immunization up to date and protect yourself against the disease.”
“The Yellow Fever vaccine takes around 10 days to generate antibodies. Therefore, it is crucial to guarantee immunization in advance, especially for those who are going to explore forest areas, camps, trails and waterfalls”, reinforces Regiane about the importance of the vaccine for anyone traveling.
It is also important to highlight that monkeys do not transmit Yellow Fever. Infection occurs through wild mosquitoes, which live in forest areas and do not inhabit the urban environment of cities. The risk is greater in forested and rural areas that receive tourists for camping, trails and other activities.
Vaccine 100 Questions
The Government of São Paulo created the “Vacina 100 Doubts” portal with the most frequently asked questions about vaccination on internet search engines. The platform clarifies issues such as side effects, vaccine effectiveness, vaccine-preventable diseases and the dangers of not getting immunized. Access is available at the link: https://www.vacina100duvidas.sp.gov.br/.
