PAHO highlights wider effects of Brazil’s robust vaccination scheme

Vaccine hesitance prevails among some groups, Morales reckoned

The Pan American Health Organization noted this week that Brazil’s robust vaccination campaigns have yielded benefits for neighboring countries.

Cristian Morales, representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Brazil, argued that vaccination is one of the areas in public health care where solidarity between countries matters the most. He praised the launch of the multi-vaccination campaign by the Brazilian Health Ministry, with its regional impact.

“Whatever happens in Brazil –a larger country with very strong trade and exchange, as well as tourism– has an influence on other countries in the Americas and around the world,” he said during a presser at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Brasília.

“But Brazil is also exposed to what happens in neighboring countries. That is why we must also place multilateralism at the center of our actions. It allows countries to fight together against dangers such as vaccine-preventable diseases and focus on protection beyond their borders,” he added.

In his view, Brazil’s multi-vaccination campaign benefits not only the local population but also other countries in the region. “We are in an era in which, unfortunately, a view has taken hold among some people and segments of society in which vaccine hesitancy prevails,” he noted.

“This is something that should be tackled by all of us – the media, international organizations, ministries, as well as society. We all have to rethink the importance of putting scientific evidence and supporting data at the center of decision-making – at the collective level, such as in public policy, but also at the individual and family levels.” (Source: Agencia Brasil)