Immunization and Information: Experience Report on the Importance of Vaccination in Preventing Infectious Diseases and Combating Disinformation in Local Communities

Inmunización e información

Abstract

Vaccination is the best strategy to prevent infectious diseases, stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against specific pathogens. In Brazil, there has been a drop in the vaccination rate due to factors such as the spread of misinformation and difficulty in accessing health services. This study aims to report the experience of an educational action on the topic of vaccination in a local community. The proposal arose after a situational diagnosis was carried out and the vaccination action was preceded by two days of socio-educational awareness, during which health agents and nursing students visited homes in the neighborhoods served by the local Basic Health Unit, distributing educational leaflets and publicizing the educational action. After the days of dissemination, the “D-Day for Immunization” was held at the local school in the Litorâneo neighborhood, on August 17, 2024, from 8 am to 12 pm. 44 doses of vaccines were administered on “D-Day for Immunization”. The combination of home visits with the delivery of informative materials has proven to be a strategy that, together with others, can be effective in increasing vaccination coverage. Experience indicates that repeating actions like this can be a promising way to increase vaccination uptake and strengthen community health.