"Canção foi tão bom" - Performers: Sabotage; Lakers; DBS; Daniel Ganjaman; Negra Li; Composers: Sabotage; Lakers; DBS; Daniel Ganjaman - 2016
Polio, better known as infantile paralysis, is a disease that has now been eradicated in Brazil, but which caused great losses throughout the 20th century. The first outbreak in the country was reported in Rio de Janeiro, in 1911, by the pediatrician Fernandes Figueira. Two more followed: in 1939 and 1953.
Poliomyelitis is caused by the Poliovirus virus. It generally occurs in children, but can also affect adults. Most infections happen through the mouth, with material contaminated by feces, such as water or food. Contagion can also happen directly through the mouth, through droplets expelled when speaking, coughing, or sneezing. In general, the disease presents symptoms similar to those of other viral, respiratory, or gastrointestinal diseases. In its more severe forms, it can lead to paralysis of limbs and muscles, causing lasting effects and even death.
The year 1939 marked the first major polio epidemic in the federal capital. The number of cases was 6 times higher than everything recorded between 1920 and 1938, and the number of deaths reached more than a third of the deaths recorded in that period. Despite the alarming data, local authorities dealt with the disease in a contradictory way. At the same time as there were leaders seeking to reassure the population, dismissing the idea of an epidemic, there were also those who worried about the continuity of school life and crowds of children in general.
In 1953, the largest outbreak of all occurred. The federal government went, once again, through an initial phase of denying the severity of the situation, claiming that the existing cases were isolated. However, the discourse had little practical effect, since the population could already see the consequences of the disease in their daily lives. Pressure on the authorities for greater transparency about the disease containment measures thus grew. Based on the prophylaxis of other illnesses, practices such as fumigating houses and monitoring borders were adopted - which were more intended to reassure the population, since there was still no certainty about the effectiveness of these measures against infantile paralysis.
President Juscelino Kubitschek at Palácio do Catete in an audience with a poliomyelitis patient, 11/25/1957. Photo: Cruz. Arquivo Nacional
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a meeting in an office. On the left side, there is a man lying on a bed, wearing a white suit. In front of him is a man sitting in a chair, also in a suit, holding a piece of paper. Beside him stands another man, wearing glasses and a dark suit. On the right side, there is a man with his back turned, also in a suit. In the background, there is a bookshelf full of books and documents. The wall on the right has a framed picture hanging on it.In the same decade, there was major progress in the study of the disease, and two vaccines against poliomyelitis were developed: the Salk, in 1955, and the Sabin, already with greater efficacy, in 1960, both American. Although the vaccines were available, the population still resisted them. It was in this context that, in 1986, the character Zé Gotinha was born, representing the symbol of the country's commitment to eradicate poliomyelitis by 1990. The character was designed by the visual artist Darlan Manoel Rosa and had his name chosen in a popular contest by students from public schools all over the country. His shape refers to the Sabin vaccine, which is administered orally.
Zé Gotinha - National Polio Vaccination Campaign
The character was the star of the National Vaccination Campaign Against Poliomyelitis. Due to the campaign's success, his role was expanded, and he became a symbol of the current National Immunization Program (PNI) – which covers campaigns to control various diseases. Poliomyelitis has been considered an eradicated disease in Brazil since 1994, but vaccination practices must still continue. The country's vaccination coverage rate has been declining, which worries healthcare professionals.
