Only 9 capitals vaccinated more than 70% of the population against Covid; see ranking

Only 9 of the 27 Brazilian capitals reached or surpassed the mark of 70% of the total population vaccinated with the complete regimen against Covid-19 (two doses or a single dose).

They are the four from the Southeast region (Vitória, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte), the three from the South region (Florianópolis, Curitiba and Porto Alegre), in addition to Fortaleza and Belém, the only representatives from the Northeast and North regions, respectively .

The survey was carried out by leaf from the vaccination records in the official systems of the Ministry of Health and the most recent population estimates from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

Vaccination data are from last Friday (3), but there is a slight divergence in the numbers of the ministry’s system in relation to what the city halls report, caused by delays in notifications. In general, the differences are not significant and do not change the ranking order.

In the case of Fortaleza, the first place, however, the divergence draws attention. Due to a probable error in the ministry’s data, the capital of Ceará appears with what would be equivalent to 134.8% of the vaccinated population. According to city government figures, however, 85.8% of residents were immunized — which still leaves the city at the top, among the 27 capitals.

In second place is Vitória (82.5% of the population with two doses or a single dose, according to the Ministry of Health), followed by Florianópolis (77.9%) and São Paulo (75.6%).

Although the rate of application has accelerated since the middle of the year, full coverage has not yet reached 60% in eight capitals, six of them in the North region: Manaus, Goiânia, Maceió, Palmas, Porto Velho, Rio Branco , Boa Vista and Macapá.

The latter, in the lantern of the ranking, immunized only 31.4% of the inhabitants. Even taking into account the delay in digitizing records, the rate still would not exceed 36.4%, according to the panel of the State Health Department of Amapá this Tuesday afternoon (7).

Boa Vista, second slowest in the race for the vaccine, has 45.6% of residents with the first complete cycle.

Manaus, which experienced the worst health crisis among all Brazilian cities, with a lack of oxygen in hospitals, is in 20th place, with 59.7%. The Amazonian capital received extra doses at the beginning of the campaign.

Experts consulted by the report assess these numbers with some concern, especially given the uncertainties about the new omicron variant of the coronavirus and the arrival of summer.

“Brazil, in general, has been playing a good role. We left there, but we were advancing. However, when you put on a magnifying glass like this, you see that there are important regional differences and that we are still far from the ideal, which would be reach 80% by the end of the year”, summarizes Rosana Richtmann, coordinator of the Immunization Committee of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases (SBI).

as showed the leaf on Saturday (4), at least 24 Brazilian capitals will not have a New Year’s Eve party this year due to the advancement of the omicron variant and Covid’s fourth wave in Europe.

Interestingly, some that appear in the last positions of the vaccination coverage ranking are not on this list. Rio Branco had not confirmed whether the party would be maintained, while Boa Vista and Porto Velho were still evaluating the issue.

“It is noteworthy that some of these capitals with very low coverage, with less than 50%, are in border regions, and borders that are complicated from the point of view of immigration. We expected to have at least 70% of the population vaccinated in all places at this point. And everything indicates that we will need more than that, especially due to the emergence of new variants”, observes Alexandre Schwarzbold, consultant at the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases (SBI) and professor at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM).

The postponement of the Census —which should have taken place last year and was rescheduled for 2022— compromises further analysis of vaccination data at the municipal level. In addition to the lesser precision, the most recent population projections from IBGE and SUS (Unified Health System) are released without detailing ages.

Even so, if only considered vaccination among those over 18 years of age, protection against Covid is also delayed in Brazilian capitals. The goal announced by the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, was to immunize the entire adult population with the complete vaccination cycle by October.

By the end of November, however, according to the Ministry’s records, only seven capitals had reached full coverage of the population aged 18 or over with one dose (Fortaleza, Vitória, Florianópolis, João Pessoa, São Paulo, Recife and Belo Horizonte), and Vitória was the only one with the totality achieved also in the application of the first complete cycle (two doses or a single dose).

Nine capitals had not yet reached 90% of the adult population vaccinated with at least one dose (Maceió, Brasília, Palmas, Goiânia, Porto Velho, Boa Vista, Salvador, Rio Branco and Macapá).

A leaf questioned the ministry about the result of the vaccination campaign in capitals, but did not get a response until the publication of this report.

According to infectologist Rosana Richtmann, regional discrepancies can represent a “big problem” during a pandemic.

“The virus does not know the limits of municipalities. Faced with the real possibility of introducing new variants in the country, we may have recirculation in some localized foci”, emphasizes the specialist.

“It is an important moment for people to complete the scheme, and even those who can already do the booster dose. There is a lack of a clear campaign of guidance and encouragement by the Ministry of Health in this regard. And also a specific campaign for adolescents, of take the vaccines to them, because historically the adolescent does not go after the vaccine”, adds the infectious disease specialist.

For Alexandre Schwarzbold, the still low coverage in tourist cities, such as Salvador, comes as a surprise, on the eve of vacation, summer and Carnival.

“Regardless of the parties, on summer holidays there is a lot of influx of tourists from all over the world. I say that if we have 40% partially vaccinated, we actually have 40% unvaccinated. That’s a very high number, worse than in European countries that are suffering in a new wave”, highlights the infectologist.

The president of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), Juarez Cunha, also draws attention to the issue and defends the requirement for proof of vaccine for travelers.

“The tendency is for countries to place restrictions. Our position is that Brazil should request mandatory vaccination proof of all people who enter the country. This would encourage vaccination not only internally, but also abroad. Otherwise, we can become a place with tourist potential for deniers and anti-vaccines.”