Brazilian cities intensify influenza vaccination campaigns

Municipal health secretaries across Brazil are expanding flu‑vaccination efforts to reach more residents. In Feira de Santana, the municipal health department set up a free vaccination clinic at Shopping Avenida over the weekend, offering the shot to anyone six months old and having administered 873 doses the previous weekend. Brusque organized a "Dia D" on 20 June, operating in 20 health units and a polyclinic and reporting 22,000 doses already given, including thousands to children, pregnant women and seniors. Varginha deployed a Vacimóvel to the city centre, providing routine immunizations, influenza shots and HPV vaccine for adolescents. In Paranavaí, health workers and Rotary clubs held a Saturday drive in the mayor’s parking lot to vaccinate seniors, noting coverage was only 51% of the 95% target. Pinhais’ councilor highlighted that just 15,000 of the 29,272 priority individuals—children, seniors and pregnant women—had been vaccinated. Barretos set up stations on a main avenue and in a shopping centre, with the health secretary urging the public to get the shot as cases surge. Officials in each city stress that higher coverage will reduce severe flu complications, hospitalisations and deaths.