Regional Vaccination Programme registers excellent implementation in 2019 and will be extended in 2020, announces Teresa Machado Luciano
The Regional Secretary for Health considered that the implementation of the Regional Vaccination Programme in 2019 is "excellent," highlighting the adherence to the tetanus vaccination, which reached rates above 90% in population groups over 25 and 45 years of age.
“The success of the Regional Vaccination Program was in 2019, as in previous years, the entire responsibility of health professionals, doctors and nurses, and, above all, of parents and tutors,” stressed Teresa Machado Luciano. She spoke in Horta at the presentation of the 2019 evaluation and the new programme for 2020, which will be implemented from October 1.
The new vaccination schedule, annexed to Ordinance no.20/2020 published today in the Official Journal, provides for the extension of vaccination against invasive meningococcal group B disease (MenB vaccine) to all children at 2, 4 and 12 months of age, as well as the extension of vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV) infections to males at 10 years of age.
The Regional Vaccination Programme also includes the Rotavirus vaccine for risk groups, according to a standard to be defined by the Directorate-General for Health.
The Secretary for Health recalled that vaccination decisions are based on “epidemiological criteria, the characteristics of available vaccines, studies and scientific evidence, and economic assessments, namely cost-effectiveness.”
In this context, she stressed that vaccines have a “high degree of safety, efficacy and quality,” urging parents to trust the recommendations of professionals and information from reliable sources, such as the Regional Directorate got Health, the Directorate-General of Health and the World Health Organisation.
The Regional Vaccination Programme exceeded all goals, as it was revealed today, having surpassed the 95% goal in the recommended schedule until the age of 14.
Vaccination against measles and HPV registered adherence rates above 90% in 2019, as did timely vaccination, with 99% of children being vaccinated at three months of age against whooping cough/pertussis and Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 13. In turn, 94% of children aged 13 months were vaccinated against measles and Neisseria meningitidis C.