Vaccination against Covid-19 in the city of Rio de Janeiro: overview of Primary Health Care strategies and challenges from a managerial perspective

Abstract

Introduction: Technological and scientific advances meant that less than a year after the WHO declared COVID-19 an international emergency, vaccines were licensed and available, becoming the main resource in the fight against the pandemic. However, the pathway between vaccine availability and vaccine effectiveness is complex. Objective: To provide an overview of the COVID-19 vaccination process in the city of Rio de Janeiro and to systematize the strategies and challenges for Primary Health Care. Methods: We opted for a qualitative approach, with the characteristic of a case study. Nine managers were interviewed - the secretary of health and those responsible for coordination, who are directly involved in the definition and implementation of vaccination strategies. Results: In terms of challenges, the findings point to: the need to reconstitute the Primary Health Care network, inconsistencies with national coordination, vaccine adaptation, professional attrition; and the production of fake news and disinformation. Strategies found included: effective communication; external, internal, and voluntary partnerships; additional immunization sites; and evidence-based decision-making. Conclusions: Strategies were multidimensional and suggest that technical management capacity and political commitment need to be aligned and that maintaining a capillary and well-structured Primary Health Care network is fundamental to immunization interventions. This text is the result of the Professional Master's Degree in Family Health (PROFSAÚDE).

Keywords: Primary Health Care; COVID-19; Vaccine; Vaccination; Pandemic.