Chickenpox cases have risen again in the city of São Paulo after two years of low numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The growth comes after the easing of the health rules adopted because of the coronavirus, such as returning to school at a normal pace and the end of the mandatory use of a protective mask – recently resumed in some places.
At the same time, vaccination against the disease, the only form of prevention, accumulates consecutive falls.
The combination between greater ease of contagion and fewer people vaccinated explains the growth in statistics, say experts.
According to the Municipal Health Secretariat, on October 5 —the most recent data— the capital of São Paulo had 56 outbreaks of chickenpox in 2022, more than the 41 of all of last year.
The volume of cases diagnosed in recent outbreaks is greater. There were 213 until October 5 of this year against 129 in all of 2021.
In 2020, when the pandemic exploded and businesses and schools were closed, there were only 14 outbreaks and 23 infected.
The latest records, however, are much lower than before the pandemic. In 2019, for example, the capital had 188 outbreaks and 405 infected.
The secretariat explains that the outbreak notification is made when there is a record of a case of chicken pox (also known as chickenpox) in specific places, such as day care centers, hospitals, schools, among others.
If the occurrences of chickenpox have grown again, on the other hand, the number of vaccinated keeps falling. Also according to the municipal folder of Health, from January until the last day 13, 260,762 vaccines were applied (first and second doses) against 271,356 of all of last year.
In 2019 and 2020, there were 329,070 and 293,363 vaccines applied (also the sum of the two doses), respectively, proving the successive drops in vaccination.
“There is a combination of children who were locked up because of the pandemic, when the virus did not circulate, and immunization coverage that is not ideal”, says pediatrician and director of immunizations at the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, Renato Kfouri.
The municipal secretary says that the movement of people after a long period of social isolation, “raising the risk of exposure of more children at the same time to various viruses that circulate in environments”, may be one of the factors for growth.
Chickenpox is an acute, contagious, febrile viral infection characterized by blistering of the skin.
Highly contagious, the disease is transmitted from person to person, through direct contact with respiratory secretions and skin lesions, which tend to itch a lot.
The symptoms of chickenpox, in general, begin on the tenth day after infection.
The patient may also have a low or moderate fever for up to four days, fatigue, headache and loss of appetite.
In children, the disease has a benign characteristic and is controlled by the body itself. But in adolescents and adults, in general, the clinical picture can be more severe.
Although they are not frequent, cases such as hemorrhagic chickenpox, which bleeds from the lesions, for example, can cause complications, explains Kfouri.
Skin secretions can also be a gateway for bacteria that cause other infections.
“Before vaccination, pediatricians received two or three cases a day, today there are few a year”, says the pediatrician, who claims to have treated an eight-month-old baby with the disease, last Monday (12). The child does not attend daycare or nursery.
Since 2013, the basic immunization schedule in Brazil has included the tetravalent viral vaccine, which includes immunization against chickenpox, in addition to measles, mumps and rubella, previously covered in the triple viral vaccine. The immunizer is produced by Fiocruz’s Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals.
The vaccine is applied in the public network, divided into two doses, the first from 15 months and the second from 4 years of age.
When notified, according to the municipal secretariat, outbreaks are investigated by epidemiological surveillance teams, which define sanitary measures to be applied in places with the occurrence, such as the removal of suspected cases until the symptoms disappear and daily disinfection of potentially contaminated objects.
The infected patient must be isolated. Cleaning with soap and water is important.
The vaccine against chicken pox is free and can be received at all UBSs (Basic Health Units) and AMAs (Outpatient Medical Assistance)/Integrated UBS, from 7am to 7pm.
On Saturdays, children can be taken to the Integrated AMAs/UBSs, at the same time.
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