Zé Gotinha (Droplet Joe; ''Zé'' is the shortened form/nickname of ''

José José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

'', a very popular given name in Portuguese) is a Brazilian mascot created to promote vaccination campaigns against the

polio virus A poliovirus, the causative agent of polio (also known as poliomyelitis), is a serotype of the species ''Enterovirus C'', in the family of ''Picornaviridae''. There are three poliovirus serotypes: types 1, 2, and 3. Poliovirus is composed of an ...

with the goal of making the event more attractive to children. It was used in campaigns in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2006 campaigns to raise awareness among parents and children about the importance of vaccination. Zé Gotinha has also been used to warn about the importance of preventing various other diseases. Zé Gotinha became part of the children's imagination and was established as a synonym for vaccination and as a reference for the population in terms of prevention methods. In the years following its creation, the character adopted a different color for each vaccine: white for

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

, red for

measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

, navy blue for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, light blue for whooping cough, orange for

diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...

, and green for

tetanus Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'', and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually ...

History

Zé Gotinha was created in 1986 by artist Darlan Rosa at the request of the

Brazilian Ministry of Health This is a list of the federal institutions of Brazil: Legislative branch * National Congress, ''Congresso Nacional'' :*Chamber of Deputies, ''Câmara dos Deputados'' :*Senate of Brazil, ''Senado Federal'' * Court of Audit of the Union, ''Trib ...

. His name was chosen through a national contest promoted by the Ministry of Health with students from schools all over Brazil. The winning name was a suggestion from a student from the

Federal District A federal district is a type of administrative division of a federation, usually under the direct control of a federal government and organized sometimes with a single municipal body. Federal districts often include capital districts, and they e ...

. Thus, the campaigns against polio, featuring the character, began to be disseminated in newspapers, TVs, and radio. The character's main objective was to make vaccination campaigns more attractive to children, and thereby make vaccination a festive day, making children want to participate. Currently, Zé Gotinha is the symbol of the National Immunization Program.

References

{{reflist Brazilian mascots Public health education