Vaccines
Vaccines are increasingly important in our daily lives because they safely prevent numerous diseases through collective immunisation.
When our body is attacked by a microorganism, the immune system fights the infection by producing specific antibodies for each infectious agent.
After infection, the body is able to develop memory cells that act more quickly and effectively whenever that infectious agent attacks.
Vaccines are produced using the microorganisms that cause the diseases themselves, but they are killed or inactivated, so it is safe to use them. When injected, vaccines stimulate the production of antibodies and memory cells that attack the agents and make us immune to the disease.
HPV vaccine
The best form of prevention for HPV is the vaccination that covers the most virulent strains and the ones that most commonly cause cancer. This vaccine is already available free of charge for girls and adolescents up to the age of 18. Although there is an indication for the vaccination of boys, it is not yet in force in Portugal.
Unvaccinated adult women, even if they have already had an HPV infection, are advised to get the vaccine, but without co-payment from the state.
Existem 2 tipos de vacina:
- Bivalent: covers only HPV types 16 and 18.
- Nonavalent: protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58 and is available in Portugal since 2017.
Hepatitis vaccine
The Hepatitis B vaccine is the most effective way to prevent this type of hepatitis. This vaccine is part of the Portuguese National Vaccination Programme and those of other countries such as Brazil.
People of all ages can be vaccinated with a doctor's prescription.
The following groups should be vaccinated:
- All newborns and other children who were not vaccinated at birth.
- People who are sexually active.
- People who inject drugs.
- Sex workers.
- People who live with someone who has the disease.
If you are a sex worker and haven't been vaccinated against Hepatitis B, contact us to find out how you can get the vaccine.
There is also a vaccine against Hepatitis A, which is recommended for people who travel to places with a high probability of the disease, people who use drugs, people with chronic liver disease, and people who engage in oral-anal sex.
