Portugal has 20 confirmed cases of measles, Health Director-General Rita Sa Machado said on Tuesday, highlighting the “high national coverage” of vaccinations against the disease.
“For measles, we have high national coverage. We currently have 20 confirmed cases of measles in Portugal,” Rita Sa Machado told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony in Arronches, Portalegre district.
“We need to act so that people continue to get vaccinated and get vaccinated in a timely manner. If we want to vaccinate at the age of one, then we should not vaccinate at one year and three months,” he warned.
The Director-General of Health also advised those people who have not been vaccinated against the disease or have only received one dose of the vaccine to document this situation on their vaccination record.
“Look at the ballots and see, depending on the year of birth, whether they have two doses of the vaccine or only one,” he stressed, noting that “these are the measures that, as citizens,” must be taken, and it depends from DGS, shall we take others?
On Tuesday in Arronches, Rita Sa Machado took part in an initiative promoted by the DGS as part of the program of activities for the European Vaccination Week 2024, in which a study was presented with vaccination figures in Portugal in 2023.
In statements to journalists, the director general of health stressed that “Portugal continues to have a high level of vaccination coverage” in the national vaccination program, which covers both pregnant women and infants as well as adults.
Regarding childhood, Rita Sa Machado stated that the coverage rate is “really high” and is “over 95% and often between 98% and 99%.
“As adults we go down a little further and that’s natural and what’s to be expected even at international level,” he added.
Regarding vaccination data in Portugal last year, the Director General of Health considered it important to look at changes at regional level.
“We noticed that there are some that are a little higher, some that are a little lower,” and “it’s important” to make “that differentiation” and understand “why it happens or doesn’t happen,” he argued.
When asked by reporters if there was a shortage of vaccines in the country, Rita Sa Machado said there was “no shortage of vaccine supplies.”
“Since the start of the year we have been following a reorganization of the NHS, with many vaccine-related issues being transferred to local health service units (ULS),” he said.
Rita Sa Machado said the disturbance was “expected” and said the situation was being monitored by NHS executives “to try to minimize the impact on the population.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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