Ministry of Health confirms 4th dose for those aged 40 or over

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The Ministry of Health confirmed this Monday (20) the inclusion of people aged between 40 and 49 years and who started the vaccination schedule with Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Coronavac in the group that can receive the fourth dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 .

As a result, 9 million people are eligible for this stage of immunization, also called the second booster dose. The measure was brought forward by Sheet last week.

“Anyone aged 40 or over can look for the health post in their municipality from today”, said the secretary of Health Surveillance, Arnaldo Medeiros.

For those who started vaccination with Janssen’s immunizer, all people aged 18 years and over can receive the second booster —equivalent to the third dose— four months after the last injection.

Although Saúde only made the inclusion this Monday, some places had already started to vaccinate people aged 40 or over, such as the Federal District.

The expectation is now that the folder will soon announce that anyone aged 18 and over can take the fourth dose. Asked about this, Medeiros said that the ministry expands the eligible group as “more scientific evidence in this regard” appears.

According to the executive secretary of the Ministry of Health, Daniel Pereira, 62 million people have not yet taken their first booster dose. In view of this, he reiterated the need for these people to also seek health centers to complete their vaccination schedule. “We have vaccines available to everyone who wants it,” he declared.

According to him, the folder is studying together with the municipalities ways to encourage vaccination in the country. One measure analyzed is to extend the opening hours of health posts.

Another concern of the ministry is to prevent vaccines in stock from losing their validity. Almost 28 million doses may expire by August, according to the TCU (Union Court of Auditors). “The ministry is increasingly looking to distribute these doses. [A pasta] is doing all the work so that no dose is lost”, pointed out Medeiros when asked about the matter.

The Ministry of Health is also internally discussing the permanent inclusion of vaccines against Covid-19 in the PNI (National Immunization Plan), which would make the application of doses regular.

“All vaccines that are part of the [permanente] of the PNI are fully assured of regularity, seasonality and an adequate understanding of the disease as a whole. We believe, and it will probably happen, that the vaccination for Covid-19 will enter the PNI”, said Medeiros.

For this, however, the folder needs to have more clarity about who would be the target audience and how many recommended doses will be. The ministry says it carries out studies and discussions with experts on the proposal.

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