Health releases Covid vaccination of children aged 6 months to 4 years with comorbidity

The Ministry of Health released this Thursday (13) the use of the Pfizer vaccine against Covid in children aged 6 months to 4 years who have comorbidities.

The use of the immunizing agent for this age group was approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) on the 16th of last month, after technical analysis of data and clinical studies conducted by its laboratory.

“The Ministry of Health, in view of the opinion given by the Legal Consultancy (Conjur) of the Ministry, will ask the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the SUS (Conitec) to evaluate the possible expansion of the use of the pediatric Comirnaty vaccine in children aged 6 months. under 4, recently approved by Anvisa. The decision is in accordance with the end of the Public Health Emergency of National Importance (Espin)”, said the ministry, in a note sent to Sheet.

The folder adds that “as a precautionary measure, it authorizes the use of the vaccine for children aged 6 months to under 4 years who have some type of comorbidity, while the Conitec analysis rite is carried out.”

The decision of the Ministry of Health comes at a time when vaccination of children is declining in the country. Immunization of the 5 to 11 age group against Covid started in January this year in Brazil, but, as of September 30, less than half of the estimated 20.5 million children in this group have a record of two-dose immunization — which impairs protection against disease.

According to official data from the ministry, 6 out of 10 children aged 5 to 11 in the country took their first dose against Covid until July this year (63% of the total). But only 4 out of 10 children of this age also have a record of the second dose of the vaccine (43%). This means that less than half of the child population has completed the vaccination schedule against the disease.

The use of Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine in children was initially approved in December last year, when Anvisa gave the green light for application to children aged five and over.

The decision aroused complaints from President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). At the time, he announced that he had unofficially requested the name of the Anvisa technicians involved in the approval, in order to disclose them “so that everyone knows who these people are and obviously forms their own judgment”.

Afterwards, he also suggested, without presenting any evidence, that the agency had “interests” in the decision.

The following month, on January 20, the use of Coronavac was authorized for children over six years of age.

The discussion of childhood vaccination triggered a wave of threats to Anvisa technicians and directors. Earlier this year, there were more than 300.

Later, in July, the agency gave the go-ahead for emergency use of doses of Coronavac in children aged 3 to 5 years.

Check out the full note:

The Ministry of Health, in view of the opinion given by the Legal Consultancy (Conjur) of the Ministry, will ask the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the SUS (Conitec) to evaluate the possible expansion of the use of the pediatric Comirnaty vaccine in children aged 6 months to under 4, recently approved by Anvisa. The decision is in line with the end of the Public Health Emergency of National Importance (Espin).

However, in view of the epidemiological scenario of Covid-19 in the country and on the recommendation of the Technical Immunization Advisory Board (CTAI), it was defined, in a precautionary way, to authorize the use of the vaccine for children aged 6 months to under 4 years. who present some type of comorbidity, while the Conitec analysis rite is carried out.

All guidelines for the vaccination of this public will be published in a technical note.