Re-evaluation of the basic procedures involved in the storage of measles vaccine in public health units of the municipality of Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Four years after the first visit seventeen public health units were visited again and evaluated as to standards of storage recommended by the Brazilian Immunization Programme. In 100% of the units, refrigerators and proper inside location of vaccines in the refrigerator were adequately or regularly maintained and checked, respectively. However, when control of temperature was checked, only 64.7% presented adequate storage conditions. In 94.1% of the units, health workers complained of lack of immediate technical support in emergency situations. In 55.2% the titers vaccine samples of were under the minimal recommended potency. It is necessary that the factors concerning the cold chain be continually evaluated so that the quality of the vaccines that will be used is not affected.

Antimeasles antibodies in children submitted to different vaccination schedules.

In order to study the measles antibody behavior of three vaccination schedules, 684 children were divided into 4 Groups: Group A (341 vaccinated children under the age of one); Group B (101 children at the age of one); Group C (74 children under the age of one and one at the age of one); Group D (163 unvaccinated children with a history of measles in the past-Group control). Children of Group A presented lower rates and 25.9% of the age group under two did not show any measles antibodies. In Group B, all the children presented antibodies. In Group C only 4.0% did not. In all age groups, the geometric mean HI antibody titers of Group A were lower than the values found in the other groups. The age at vaccination was the factor of greater influence on the results of this study.

Avaliação das condições de estocagem da vacina contra o sarampo nas unidades sanitarias dos municipios de Niteroi e Sao Goncalo, estado do Rio de Janeiro / Evaluation of the conditions of storage of measles vaccine in Public Health Unit of Niteroi and Säo Gonçalo, State of Rio de Janeiro

Com o objetivo de estudar as condicoes de estocagem da vacina contra o sarampo na rede de vacinacao dos Municipios de Niteroi e Sao Goncalo - RJ, 22 Unidades Sanitarias foram avaliadas de acordo com as normas tecnicas especificas estabelecidas pelo Programa Nacional de Imunizacao. Observou-se que em 86,4 por cento das Unidades visitadas os cuidados com os refrigeradores eram adequados ou regulares mas quanto a arrumacao das vacinas no interior dos aparelhos e ao controle da temperatura, estes percentuais cairam para 60,0 por cento e 54,5 por cento, respectivamente. De todos os itens avaliados, o mais problematico foi o apoio tecnico imediato frente a situacoes de emergencia, apoio esse considerado insuficiente em 90,0 por cento dos casos. Em 100 por cento das amostras vacinais recolhidas da Unidades Sanitarias, os titulos estavam abaixo da potencia minima preconizada para tal produto no momento da aplicacao. Torna-se necessario entao, que as condicoes de conservacao e uso das vacinas sejam melhoradas evitando assim a formacao de grupamentos de criancas suscetiveis a doenca.

[Evaluation of the conditions of storage of measles vaccine at the Public Health Units of Niteroi and São Gonçalo, State of Rio de Janeiro]. / Avaliação das condições de estocagem da vacina contra o sarampo nas unidades sanitárias dos municípios de Niterói e São Gonçalo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro.

Twenty two "Public Health Units" were visited and evaluated as to standards of storage recommended by the Brazilian Immunization Programme. In 86.4% of the units, refrigerators were adequately or regularly maintained. However, when items such as proper inside location of the vaccines in the refrigerator or the control of temperature were checked, only 60% and 54.5% respectively presented adequate storage conditions. In 90% of the Units health workers complained of lack of immediate technical support in emergency situations. In 100% of the vaccine samples titers were well under the minimal recommended potency. Inadequacy and lack of uniformity, at regional and local levels, concerning conditions of vaccine storage as well as insufficient training of health personnel must have contributed to the above results.