The decline in child vaccination after the COVID-19 pandemic: is meningitis back?

*Correspondence: [e-mail].

Abstract

Background: National vaccination coverage is one of the largest immunization programs in the world, which has helped Brazil to eradicate and control several vaccine-preventable diseases over the last 50 years. However, during the pandemic, the widespread dissemination of misinformation about vaccination against COVID-19 was one of the main causes for the change in this scenario. The WHO and other international organizations are concerned about the increase in patients with meningitis in Brazil from 2021 to 2022 due to the decrease in children's immunization rates; Increased cases have been reported across the country. Meningitis, a disease that promotes inflammation of the meninges, with the main infectious etiology, has as risk factors: extremes of age, inadequate vaccination, exposures and chronic medical conditions. Thus, it is clear that there is a direct relationship between reluctance to vaccination and the growing number of this pathology.

Objective: Correlate the lack of greater childhood vaccination coverage and the increasing rate of compulsory notification of pediatric patients with meningitis in Brazil by region. To describe the immunization of patients between 2 months and 14 years and its association with the increase in confirmed cases of meningitis in this same age group in all regions of Brazil in the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) between the years 2019 to 2022.

Methods: This will occur through the collection of secondary data from the Department of Informatics of the SUS (DATA-SUS). Therefore, a quantitative study was carried out, analyzing and comparing the frequency of absolute immunizations and the number of confirmed cases notified in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN).

Results: According to DATA-SUS, the Brazilian regions had a vaccination rate for Meningococcus C, Pentavalent and Pneumococcal vaccines reduced by approximately 5% between 2019 and 2022. Thus, the number of pediatric patients with meningitis increased by 3,035 children from 2021 to 2022.

Conclusion: In addition, although it is a disease that has a seasonal behavior, the vaccination coverage of these children directly impacted a higher incidence of meningitis in recent years. Thus, it is necessary to observe and disseminate more news and research that influence the vaccination of children from birth. reversing the drop in immune coverage of this population and increasing prevention against meningitis.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 May 2025