The Council unanimously approved the proposal of the councilor and former secretary of health, Leonardo Caruana, which promotes the request for the government of the Province of Santa Fe to formally request the Ministry of Health of the Nation that the dengue vaccination plan consider give priority to the age group of 40 to 60 years and consider first those who suffered from the disease; or that the strategy at the provincial level adapts to these guidelines.
The proposal of the mayor of the Front for Sovereignty puts at the center the studies disseminated by the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Human Viral Diseases (INEVH) “Dr. JI Maiztegui” who have warned that infection with one serotype, followed by another infection with a different serotype increases a person’s risk of suffering from severe dengue and even death.
For Caruana “including the group of people between 40 and 60 years old in the vaccination strategy, prioritizing those people who have suffered from the disease, is essential for the care of the population, since this would help decompress medical consultations, linked “mostly to mild or moderate forms that do not require hospitalization and would reduce serious cases, avoiding unnecessary overload on the health system.”
In this sense, the project of Councilor Caruana, requests the Municipal Executive Department to, through the corresponding distribution, manage before the Ministry of Health of the Nation the prioritization and inclusion in the vaccination plan against dengue of the age group of 40 to 60 years, with a staggered incorporation that first considers those who suffered from the disease and then advances according to the availability of vaccines.
Following the same line, the provincial deputy Claudia Balagué presented this week before the Provincial Chamber an initiative for the expansion of the strategy, where she also urges the Provincial Executive Branch to arbitrate the necessary measures for the management of purchases of vaccines against the dengue virus .
The proposal of the councilor of the Broad Front for Sovereignty seeks to have better conditions for the months ahead, taking as a background the most serious dengue outbreak in the history of our country at the end of 2023 with 556,820 infections and 404 deaths and focusing on the data published in the epidemiological report on dengue from the Ministry of Health of the province of Santa Fe, which states that during the year 2024, 41 cases of people who died due to complications directly related to the dengue event were reported, with the average age at the time of death 49 years. It is important to note that this request is made urgently in a context of exacerbated concern on the part of the population due to the lack of doses in pharmacies and the information of the existence of long waiting lists to access it in a private manner.
The predictions of specialists in the matter for this season that is beginning maintain that the level of circulation of the virus will be high, especially in the hottest months, in which the Aedes agegypti mosquito is more present and cases increase. “As we always say, the vaccine is only one of the aspects of the complexity of a disease like dengue; There are others that are often omitted from healthcare perspectives, and they are those that have to do with structural poverty and social inequality. Two phenomena that are becoming more and more acute in our country.
Political decisions lead us to increasingly critical scenarios where the role of the state is blurred, disappearing precisely from the places where it has to offer guarantees,” stated the former secretary of health.
Background
In February of this year, councilor Leonardo Caruana promoted a request from the council to the municipal Executive, which was voted unanimously, for the provincial government to formally request the Federal Health Committee (Cofesa) for the incorporation of the vaccine against dengue.
On May 9, the national government announced that the dengue vaccine would be incorporated in a focused manner in endemic areas, delegating decisions regarding its purchase to provincial governments, thus weakening the ability to negotiate with laboratories and subordinating an important decision. health to an economic definition.
The provincial immunization strategy began in September in prioritized departments and areas and took the guidelines of the National Immunization Commission (Conain). The provincial government only received 20,000 vaccines from the Nation and acquired another 160,000 doses of Qdenga, from the Takeda Argentina SA laboratory. Already in July, given the lack of details about the beginning of the campaign, the councilor and former secretary of health raised the need to begin vaccination “to guarantee the application of the two doses and thus achieve the immunization of those vaccinated in November/ December, avoiding an epidemic for the third consecutive year and reducing the magnitude that the disease reached last summer.”
After the announcement of the start of the provincial campaign, Caruana expressed that it was incomplete since it ignored what the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Human Viral Diseases (INEVH) proposed “Dr. JI Maiztegui” about the seriousness of a second infection and how important it is for this population to receive the vaccine. This aspect is now specified as a formal request with its presentation to the Council.
Dengue Vaccination Proposal in Santa Fe: A Sharp Look
Welcome, dear readers! Today, we delve into the recent proposal made by the councilor and former secretary of health, Leonardo Caruana, who is clearly a man on a mission (or is it just a mosquito chase?). This proposal, you see, has received a *unanimous* nod from the council, which, in political terms, is almost as rare as a mosquito avoiding a dengue-infested area!
Let’s break this down: Caruana is pushing for prioritization in the age group of 40 to 60 for the dengue vaccine, particularly targeting those who have had the misfortune of enduring this pesky disease. And considering the alarming numbers—over 556,820 infections and around 404 deaths during the worst dengue outbreak in the country’s history—it’s a proposal that’s more timely than the ‘sweat-and-itch’ season when mosquitoes are on a veritable buffet tour of humanity!
Why the Focus on the 40 to 60 Age Group?
Good question! The rationale stems from studies by reputable organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Argentina’s Dr. JI Maiztegui Institute. They’ve sounded the alarm that contracting one serotype of dengue and then encountering another is like playing a game of Russian roulette—only, instead of bullets, it’s the chance of severe dengue, and unsurprisingly, nobody wants to play that game. So, Caruana argues that vaccinating those who had dengue before will help keep the sick corners of our hospitals less crowded. Clever, right? Imagine a world where our emergency rooms aren’t overrun with people saying, “I thought it was just a fever!”
The Vaccine Strategy: A Tactical Move
The proposed strategy calls for an organized distribution of vaccines that wouldn’t just be a lottery system of “who’s next?” but rather a well-mapped approach. First, those who’ve suffered from dengue, and then onward as vaccines become available. And quite right too! We wouldn’t want the vaccines to be distributed like party favors at a child’s birthday bash—everyone gets one, but a few still end up with an empty bag!
Actors in the Dialogue
And it’s not just Caruana who’s barking up this dengue tree! Provincial deputy Claudia Balagué is also in the mix, calling for the Provincial Executive to show some urgency in acquiring vaccines. It’s a bit like watching a political game of hot potato, only this potato could mean life or death for many. All involved seem to be singing the same tune about the urgency to tackle the dengue virus, which just adds a lovely harmony to this political opera!
What’s the Bigger Picture?
Here comes the serious bit, folks: while vaccines are critical, the former secretary reminds us that structural poverty and social inequality are also to blame for the high dengue levels. Sometimes, it feels like the state is playing hide and seek, but all we’re left with is the thrill of finding more mosquitoes buzzing around us while real solutions remain evasive. It’s the kind of conundrum that would make any health professional weep into their stethoscopes!
A Little Historical Context
For some backstory, if you missed it: Caruana has been hustling since February, advocating for the dengue vaccine to be included in the immunization plans – a move that was unanimously approved! However, the national government’s attempts to delegate buying power to provincial governments have been a little like trying to herd cats. Hard enough to keep everyone in line, let alone ensure we actually have enough vaccines when panic sets in!
The Season of the Virus
Now, let’s not mince words; the experts believe that as temperatures rise, so too will the dengue infections. It’s like a summer blockbuster waiting to unfold, but instead of superheroes, we have mosquitoes dressed in an Aedes aegypti costume, serving up new infections on a silver platter. You see, the stakes are incredibly high, and as the days grow warmer, so does the public’s anxiety about the potential for a repeat of last year’s chaos.
In summary, Santa Fe is in a balancing act between health bureaucracy and a pressing health crisis. Caruana’s call for action shines a light on the need for prioritizing people in the 40-60 age bracket—an age group that’s often caught in the crosshairs of health neglect and, let’s face it, the mosquitoes really have it out for them.
So here’s to hoping that this proposal isn’t just another drop in the ocean of bureaucracy but rather a much-needed lifeline for the population. And let’s keep an eye out… because if we don’t, those buzzing little devils will certainly keep their eyes on us!
