Resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Venezuela as a regional public health threat in the Americas

Venezuela’s tumbling economy and authoritarian rule have precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Hyperinflation rates now exceed 45,000%, and Venezuela’s health system is in free fall. The country is experiencing a massive exodus of biomedical scientists and qualified healthcare professionals. Reemergence of arthropod-borne and vaccine-preventable diseases has sparked serious epidemics that also affect neighboring countries. In this article, we discuss the ongoing epidemics of measles and diphtheria in Venezuela and their disproportionate impact on indigenous populations. We also discuss the potential for reemergence of poliomyelitis and conclude that action to halt the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases within Venezuela is a matter of urgency for the country and the region. We further provide specific recommendations for addressing this crisis. © 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved.

• Fecha de publicación: 2019
• Institución: Universidad del Rosario
• Repositorio: Repositorio EdocUR - U. Rosario
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repository.urosario.edu.co:10336/23913
• Acceso en línea: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2504.181305; https://repository.urosario.edu.co/handle/10336/23913
• Palabra clave: Diphtheria pertussis tetanus vaccine; Measles vaccine; Vaccine; Arbovirus; Article; Clinical decision making; Diphtheria; Disease re-emergence; Disease surveillance; Disease transmission; Environmental sanitation; Erythema; Food contamination; Genotype; Geographic distribution; Haemophilus influenzae; Health care personnel; Hepatitis b; Human; Immunization; Measles; Measles like rash; Measles virus; Mortality rate; Poliomyelitis; Public health; Rubella; Swelling; Vaccination coverage; Venezuela; Virus isolation; Communicable disease; Health care delivery; Health survey; Immunology; Medical geography; Prevention and control; Vaccination; Western hemisphere; Americas; Delivery of health care; Humans; Immunization; Public health surveillance; Vaccination; Vaccine-preventable diseases; Vaccines; Venezuela; medical; emerging; Communicable diseases; Geography
• License: Abierto (Texto Completo)