ProMEDMail reports, based on this WHO update that more than 1.27 million people have been vaccinated in 18 states of Paraguay. This means 83% of the population in Ascunsion and 75% of the people at the Central Department have been vaccinated against yellow fever.
This is great news, which basically means an end to the threat of a potentially disastrous yellow fever epidemic in Paraguay.
However, at the same time they report that the number of confirmed cases has risen by 5, leading to a total number of cases of 21, and a total of 5 fatalities during the outbreak. 12 suspected cases are still under evaluation. The WHO update also reports that officials from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru agreed to coordinate and monitor yellow fever immunization for the populations of border areas, with the support of PAHO. While this is very promising, I hope that this program will be extended to other populations not living in the border areas. Also, the officials reiterated breeding site reductions as the preferred method to combat Aedes mosquitoes and yellow fever (and dengue). While I don't doubt that breeding site reductions can be very effective, I hope that integration with other forms of vector control will be considered, or at least breeding site reduction will target rare, but highly productive breeding sites.
This is great news, which basically means an end to the threat of a potentially disastrous yellow fever epidemic in Paraguay.
However, at the same time they report that the number of confirmed cases has risen by 5, leading to a total number of cases of 21, and a total of 5 fatalities during the outbreak. 12 suspected cases are still under evaluation. The WHO update also reports that officials from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru agreed to coordinate and monitor yellow fever immunization for the populations of border areas, with the support of PAHO. While this is very promising, I hope that this program will be extended to other populations not living in the border areas. Also, the officials reiterated breeding site reductions as the preferred method to combat Aedes mosquitoes and yellow fever (and dengue). While I don't doubt that breeding site reductions can be very effective, I hope that integration with other forms of vector control will be considered, or at least breeding site reduction will target rare, but highly productive breeding sites.
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