NewsDesk @bactiman63

Given the presence of two cases of yellow fever in the departments of Santa Cruz and Beni, the Ministry of Health and Sports recommended that the departmental health services (SEDES) apply the epidemiological blockade protocol and ruled out that it could become an epidemic.

Image/Robert Herriman

“What has been recommended through protocols that are already in place is that HEADQUARTERS such as the one in Santa Cruz apply the respective blockade, which guarantees the rest of the population to maintain serenity, there is no risk for the Bolivian population that an epidemic could occur. from these two cases”, said the National Director of Epidemiology of that State portfolio, Freddy Armijo.

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease, produced by an arbovirus, of a hemorrhagic nature and transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes of the genera Haemagogus spp and Sabethes, in the jungle transmission cycle and by Aedes aegypti in the cycle urban. The term “yellow” refers to the jaundice that some patients present.

Aedes aegypti merchandise

Armijo explained that this disease should worry us but it should not be feared because there will be no outbreaks that affect large population groups because it is “easy to control” for which he recommended that the population go to get immunized if by chance they did not receive a single dose. for yellow fever.

Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube

He explained that the care of this and other diseases is the exclusive responsibility of the HEADQUARTERS that by their nature have risk areas and the Ministry of Health carries out the respective follow-up.

For his part, the person in charge of the Expanded Immunization Program, Max Enríquez, reported that the levels of vaccination against yellow fever and others that are part of the regular scheme were neglected in 2020 by the transitional government and the following steps the level was neglected by the Departmental Health services due to the fact that more attention was given to the fight against Covid-19.

According to EPI data, in 2019 yellow fever vaccination coverage reached 81.5%, in 2020 it dropped to 73.1% and in 2022 it reached 67.3%.

Hours before, the Minister of Health and Sports, Jeyson Auza, recalled that the yellow fever vaccine is applied in the regular vaccination scheme to boys and girls between 12 and 23 months of age free of charge and as a reinforcement for people traveling to areas or risk countries, also free of charge.