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Immunization coverage was evaluated in all 12-23 month-old children living in the area were five years before a Primary Care Practice had been set up. All children were investigated through home visits, checking of the immunization chart and relying on mothers' information. In 1986, a baseline study had identified an immunization coverage of under 60% for each of the scheduled vaccines. The current study confirmed that coverage was of 87% for three doses of DTP, 89% for Sabin, 88% for one dose of measles vaccine and 79% for BCG. Despite the high coverage achieved for each specific vaccine, when the basic schedule for the first year was verified, it was observed that only 75% of the children had received the full scheme. Immunization coverage is uneven in different census tracts, being higher in the poorest and more remote areas, where seam the health was given extra attention. A comparison with the routine administrative evaluation of the immunization coverage showed that this underestimated the real coverage. Maternal immunization uptake was also evaluated (antitetanus vaccine during pregnancy) and only 49% of the women were found to be adequately protected. The information collected led to a reorganization of the whole immunization program in a 100% coverage.

The content of 4,319 consultations in primary health care representing 7% of all consultations from March, 1985 to March, 1986 at the Murialdo Health Center, was analyzed. The health center is located in the outskirts of Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Woman represented 67% of the total demand. Most consultations were for children under 10 years of age (37%) and woman of childbearing age (21%). The first twenty reasons for the visit corresponded to 63% of the total, and the most common reason for visiting the health center was for renewal of prescriptions and/or ordering medication (9.3%). Of all the diagnoses, the first twenty accounted for 62% of the total number of patients and the most frequent were: hypertension (8.8%), upper respiratory tract infection (7.8%), and immunization (5.5%). Prescription and administration of medication were the most common actions performed. Referrals resulted in 7.3% of the visits. Of these, 5% were sent to other providers within the Murialdo service. Only 0.6% were referred for hospitalization. These findings, combined with others which describe aspects of morbimortality not easily measured in studies of spontaneous demand for medical services, should help in the planning of primary health care services and in the training of health personnel.