Portugal has 20 confirmed cases of measles, revealed today the Director-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado, who highlighted the “high national coverage rates” in vaccination against this disease.
“In terms of measles, we have high national coverage rates. We currently have 20 confirmed cases of measles disease in Portugal,” Rita Sá Machado told journalists on the sidelines of a ceremony in Arronches, in the Portalegre district.
“We need to ensure that people continue to get vaccinated and that they get vaccinated in good time. If we’re going to vaccinate at one year of age, we shouldn’t vaccinate at one year and three months,” he warned.
The Director-General of Health also advised people who have not been vaccinated against this disease or have only received one dose of the vaccine to confirm this on their vaccination report.
“Look at the bulletins and see, according to the year of birth, if they have two doses of vaccine or just one dose,” he stressed, noting that “these are the measures that, as citizens,” should be adopted, while it is up to the DGS to take others.
Rita Sá Machado took part today in Arronches in an initiative promoted by the DGS as part of the program of activities for European Vaccination Week 2024, in which a study was presented with figures on vaccination in Portugal in 2023.
Speaking to journalists, the Director-General of Health stressed that “Portugal continues to have high vaccination coverage rates”, within the scope of the national vaccination program, which ranges from pregnant women and babies to adults.
As far as children are concerned, Rita Sá Machado said that coverage rates are “really high”, standing at “over 95% and often between 98% and 99%”.
“During adulthood, we go down a bit more, which is natural, which is to be expected, even at international level,” he added.
Still on the subject of last year’s vaccination figures in Portugal, the Director-General of Health considered it important to look at changes at regional level.
“We’ve noticed that there are also some that are a little higher, some that are a little lower,” and it’s “important” to make “this differentiation” and understand “why this is or isn’t happening,” he argued.
Asked by journalists whether there is a shortage of vaccines in the country, Rita Sá Machado said that “there is no vaccine stock-out”.
“Since the beginning of the year we have been following the reorganization of the National Health Service, where many of the issues associated with vaccines have been transferred to the local health units (ULS),” he said.
Rita Sá Machado considered that the appearance of disturbances was “to be expected” and said that the situation is being monitored with the executive board of the National Health Service “to try to minimize the impact on the population”.
