Serrana City Mass Vaccination Experiment Offers Brazilian Normal Taste

His business has been recovering after a year of hardship and now brings 70% of its pre-pandemic revenue.

“People feel safe to leave home,” he added, adding that his family and acquaintances are not afraid to traverse the hot and dry streets of the city. “We are here. I know everyone in the area, and I rarely hear about cases or deaths these days, “he says.

Nationally, Brazil has the second highest number of deaths from Covid-19 in the world after the United States, with increasing daily cases and deaths, heading for the third wave. Only 10% of Brazil’s population is fully vaccinated.

But thanks to Project S, people living in Serrana say they are experiencing a very different reality.

The full findings of researchers from Project S have not yet been peer-reviewed or published. However, preliminary results published on June 1 show that the study showed an 80% reduction in the number of symptomatic cases. Hospitalizations associated with coronavirus infections were reduced by 86% and mortality was reduced by 95%. João Doria, Governor of São Paulo, welcomed the good signs for the country as a whole.

Studies show that vaccination has created a kind of “immune belt” in Serrana, which has significantly reduced the spread of the coronavirus in municipalities, despite the virus’s rampant nationwide.

“The most important result was to understand that the pandemic could be controlled without vaccination of the entire population. It was still complete when coverage reached 70%, 75% (of Serrana’s population). The vaccination schedule has also been reduced in the non-group, “said Ricardo Palacios, medical director of clinical research at Instituto Butantan, in an interview with CNN International the day after the press conference.

However, not everyone applauds the results and does not loosen hygiene precautions until the Butantan Institute publishes complete research data and is peer-reviewed.

Jose Angelo Marquez runs a beauty salon in Serrana and was fully vaccinated in April. His business was established by the State of São Paulo government with a limited number of attendees and among customers. Operated on protocols such as distance, Markets states that it will not unlock them until it sees the numbers behind the percentages.

“I wish I could see the numbers, which gives me peace of mind,” he says.

He, his wife, and all his parents were infected with Covid-19 last year. Most people had mild or asymptomatic symptoms, but Marquez’s 81-year-old father died of Covid-19 in less than a month.

The vaccination helped the family cope with their grief, but Marque admits. “We are a little relaxed now. Now we are close to each other and hugging each other. It was very helpful in dealing with my father’s absence.”

Why Serrana

Approximately 330 kilometers from the state capital, São Paulo, Serrana is considered a commuter town, with a large population commuting to large neighboring cities such as Ribeirao Preto. According to Marcos Borges, Principal Investigator of Project S, this trend led to the spread of the new coronavirus infection in early 2021.

“More than 10,000 people work in other cities, which leads to the widespread epidemic of these infectious and infectious diseases,” Borges said. “One in 20 Serrana was infected and spread the disease, which caught our attention.”

“Earlier this year, we were very suffering from a new coronavirus infection. Our small medical system collapsed. It seemed like there was a very dark cloud over the town,” said Mayor Serrana. Says Leonardo Capitelli.

Brazil is struggling to get enough vaccines for a population of 211 million. Dimas Corvas and Borges, directors of the Butantan Institute, who knew that herd immunity could take many years for the country, vaccinated a high proportion of Serana’s population in a short period of time and herd immunity. Tried to see if it could be achieved domestically.

“Therefore, we wanted to test whether vaccination could prevent the transmission of the virus and reduce severe cases and hospitalizations,” says Borges. Serana was an ideal candidate at the time because of its high prevalence of the new coronavirus, its small population, and its proximity to Ribeirao Preto’s Medical College and State Hospital.

The method used in the clinical trial, called the stepwise wedge trial, divides the city into 25 sub-areas, forming four large population groups and vaccination during consecutive weeks from February to April. It was.

By scheduling vaccinations in sequence, the research team was able to evaluate and compare regions, according to Ricardo Palacios.

“By the time the third group received the second dose, about 75% of the target population realized that the epidemic was effectively controlled throughout the city.” Vaccinated children, adolescents, etc. Group.

“The decline in unvaccinated people indicates that the circulation of the virus is slowing, which is strengthening vaccination as a public health measure as well as an individual measure,” he said. Said.

Mayor Capitelli says Serrana’s two primary care hospitals are now much less crowded.

“40 to 50 days ago, about 160-180 people came to the hospital every day with symptoms of respiratory syndrome, and about 69% were positive for Covid-19. Currently, there are 30 inpatients per day. It has dropped to ~ 35 and only 20-25% tested positive for Covid-19, “he said.

“There was one Serrana before Project S and another Serrana after it. Our economy is growing and many new companies are interested in investing here. People Is regaining everyday life and we are getting better day by day. “

But the mask remains as it is

However, life has not completely returned to normal.

Residents of Serrana still need to wear masks and stay socially distant, as the virus remains out of control in this area. This is the basic hygiene practiced throughout the state.

In contrast to the complete closures imposed in several nearby cities, Serrana companies also maintain restrictions on capacity limits by the state government.

“This still has to be followed, as the area is in turmoil and the cities and medical systems are collapsing,” says Mayor Capitelli.

The full results of the study will be published by early July. However, Project S will continue until February next year, and researchers will continue to monitor Serana’s population. As new viral variants continue to emerge, researchers hope that Coronavac will remain effective and Serrana will continue to enjoy its apparent victory.

“The key conclusions of this study may support vaccination strategies in Brazil and around the world and give hope for the control of pandemics with vaccines such as CoronaVac,” said Dimas Cobas, director of the Butantan Institute. Says.

For now, restaurant owner Ricardo Lewis says he already feels the psychological benefits of participating in Project S.

“Hope has been regained, and even self-esteem has returned,” he says.

“Four months ago it was hard to see the end of all this. We are a small town, but we all know. We are the pain of others, ours. At the end of the tunnel, I found it possible to return to normal and feel happy again. “