Santa Cruz Governorate and Education Department promote vaccination campaign for safe return to classes

The Governorate of Santa Cruz, through its Department of Health (Sedes), has joined forces with the Departmental Directorate of Education (DDE) to launch a strategic alliance focused on strengthening vaccination campaigns. This collaboration aims to ensure students return to classrooms protected against influenza and measles as the school year approaches.

Jorge Quiroz, coordinator of Urban Networks and Hospitals at Sedes, explained that the agreement is designed to guarantee students are immunized with vaccines included in the Expanded Program on Immunization (PAI). He urged families to utilize the final week of school holidays to complete their children's vaccination schedules. "The first preventive measure is vaccination, alongside biosecurity measures and early disease detection," Quiroz stated.

Health facilities have been bolstered to provide measles vaccinations to children and adolescents up to 19 years old. A key objective of the campaign is to achieve over 95% vaccination coverage, aligning with World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommendations. Currently, measles vaccination coverage stands at 35%, while influenza coverage is at 66%. Notably, adolescents aged 11 to 19 years exhibit the lowest vaccination percentages for both diseases.

Nelson Alcócer, departmental director of Education, emphasized the importance of the alliance. He announced that workshops will be conducted for parents across 54 educational districts to raise awareness about preventing measles and influenza. Alcócer also highlighted that the return to classes coincides with Santa Cruz's anniversary celebrations, a period expected to see high public gatherings. He stressed that reinforcing preventive measures through vaccination is therefore crucial.