Ministry of Health distributes 740,000 doses of Coronavac to vaccinate children

The Ministry of Health started this Monday (16) the distribution of more than 740,000 doses of Coronavac to all states for the resumption of vaccination of children aged 3 to 11 against Covid. Deliveries must be completed by this Tuesday (17).

“The first doses should be used to continue vaccinating children aged 3 to 11 years. They will be distributed isonomically, as requested by each federative entity and the calculation of the target public”, said Ethel Maciel, Secretary of Health Surveillance and Environment, to the portfolio’s news agency.

The new secretary stated, on January 6, that there was a lack of vaccine against Covid for children aged six months to 11 years and that, therefore, there was the intention to anticipate the contract with Pfizer and resume the Coronavac contract with the Butantan Institute. .

“We have the Butantan contract paralyzed, we received the government with the contract paralyzed.

The lack of doses destined for children has already caused problems in vaccination. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, the campaign was paralyzed, but was resumed after the delivery of a new batch of immunizers by the ministry.

According to data collected by the consortium of press vehicles, approximately 57% of children aged 3 to 11 years old able to receive the vaccine took the first dose of immunizer against Covid-and 39% have two doses. In addition to the two applications, the Ministry of Health began to recommend, for children aged 5 to 11 years, a booster with Pfizer’s immunizer.

Ethel claims that there is no shortage of vaccines for adults, but it is still unclear whether there will be an indication of yet another booster dose for all ages. Such as Sheet he said, what has already been defined is that the vaccine for the risk group will enter the annual calendar.