Cobertura vacinal de crianças de até 1 ano no Nordeste durante a Pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

Vaccination is one of the main tools for disease prevention. In Brazil, the National Immunization Program (PNI) is considered a global standard in terms of vaccination coverage and was very successful in reducing regional and social inequalities in this area. The National Vaccination Calendar provides for 26 doses of vaccines up to the child's 4 years of age, being made available free of charge by the Unified Health System (SUS). However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to essential health services around the world, including routine vaccination, especially in low and middle-income countries. As a result, World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 80 million children will be susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases. Studies in different countries show a reduction in vaccination coverage and an increase in reported cases of vaccine-preventable diseases during the pandemic. This work aimed to describe the evolution of vaccination rates of children up to 1 year of age, in the population of northeast, between the years 2015 and 2022. It is an observational, descriptive, retrospective study, based on data of the DataSUS platform. Through the analysis of the data collected, it was possible to notice a decrease in the child vaccination rate during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as an increase in this rate after the pandemic.