Butantan resumes production of Coronavac to vaccinate children aged 3 to 5 years

The Butantan Institute resumed this month the production of Coronavac vaccines, produced in partnership with the biopharmaceutical Sinovac.

According to the institute, the resumption takes place after a ten-month break due to lack of demand.

Now, the production will meet a request from the Ministry of Health, which ordered 1 million doses for the vaccination of children aged 3 to 5 years.

Butantan, however, says it will produce a total of 3.5 million doses of Coronavac in case the federal government requests additional doses to meet the children’s complete vaccination schedule.

The forecast is that the immunizers arrive at the posts in mid-September, says the institute.

Throughout the state of São Paulo, children aged 3 and 4 with comorbidities or disabilities and indigenous people can now be vaccinated against Covid.

Those responsible for children without comorbidities or disabilities can, for the time being, register at the UBSs (Basic Health Units) to receive the remaining doses.

In July, Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) approved the emergency use of Coronavac for children aged 3 to 5 years.

Earlier, in December, the agency had already released the use of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine to immunize children aged 5 to 11 years. Pfizer is now awaiting Anvisa’s decision on its request to apply the vaccine to children aged 6 months to 4 years.