Health recommends exclusive vaccination room for children and rejects drive-thru

The Ministry of Health recommends the application of the Pfizer vaccine against Covid in children aged 5 to 11 years in exclusive rooms. In addition, for children, the folder says that the drive-thru system should be avoided.

The ministry’s guidance is that children are separated from environments where immunizers from other brands are used or in a different presentation, for adults, in the case of Pfizer.

The immunization of this age group entered the Ministry’s national vaccination plan on Wednesday (5).

The details are in a technical note of the folder released on the subject and follows the recommendation of Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).

“Vaccines must be applied in full following Anvisa’s recommendations”, says the document.

When vaccination takes place in isolated communities, such as in indigenous villages, the recommendation is that it be done on days separate from adults.

In addition, immunization must begin after complete training of the health teams who will administer the doses to children.

The justification is that the vast majority of post-vaccination adverse events are due to the administration of the wrong product to the age group, the inadequate dose and the wrong preparation of the immunizer.

The technical note shows that the Pfizer study presented to Anvisa did not observe serious adverse events associated with vaccination.

In another study in the United States, with the application of 8.7 million doses, there were 100 serious adverse events, such as fever, vomiting, and only 15 preliminary reports of myocarditis.

The orientation is also that children are welcomed and remain in the place where vaccination occurs for at least 20 minutes after application, thus facilitating their observation during this period.

The Covid vaccine should not be given to children at the same time they receive another immunization. The recommendation is that there is an interval of 15 days between the coronavirus vaccine and immunizations for other diseases.

The Ministry of Health announced this Wednesday that children aged 5 to 11 years will receive the Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19 without the need to present a medical prescription.

The recommendation of the folder is that immunization begins with minors with comorbidity, permanent disability, indigenous people and quilombolas. The four groups are guided by legal provisions.

Then, the folder recommends that children who live with people from groups considered at risk be vaccinated.

Subsequently, there will be a scaling by age group, starting with the oldest. Vaccination will not be mandatory. The forecast is that children will begin to be vaccinated on January 14th.

The ministry also announced that it should receive by March at least 20 million pediatric doses of Pfizer against Covid, enough to immunize about half of the population of children aged 5 to 11 years.

The government expects to receive 3.7 million doses by the end of January. The units will be distributed proportionally to the states and the Federal District, responsible for the application of the immunizer.

SEE THE MAIN GUIDELINES OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH FOR VACCINE APPLICATION

1. Vaccination must be initiated after complete training of the health teams that will administer the vaccine
2. It must be carried out in a specific and segregated environment from the vaccination of adults
3. Vaccination of children in isolated communities, for example in indigenous villages, should, whenever possible, be done on days separate from vaccination of adults
4. The vaccination room for children must be exclusively for the application of this vaccine, not being used for the application of other vaccines, even pediatric ones.
5. The Covid-19 vaccine should not be administered concomitantly with other vaccines in the children’s calendar, as a precaution, an interval of 15 days is recommended.
6. Vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years at drive-thru vaccination posts should be avoided
7. Children must be welcomed and remain in the place where vaccination takes place for at least 20 minutes after application.
8. Health professionals, before administering the vaccine, should inform the person responsible for accompanying the child about the main expected local symptoms.
9. Parents or guardians should be advised to seek medical attention if the child has sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or palpitations after the vaccine is administered.
10. Health professionals, before applying the vaccine, must show the person responsible who accompanies the child that it is the vaccine against Covid
11. Children who turn 12 years old between the first and second dose should receive the pediatric dose
12. Centers, health posts and children’s hospitals must be trained to attend to and capture possible adverse reactions in children aged 5 to 11 years after receiving the vaccine.

Expected deliveries

3.74 million
of doses in January

1.248 million on January 13
1.248 million on January 20
1,248 million on January 27

20 million in the first quarter
20 million no second trimester

Order of application, according to the Ministry of Health

1. children with comorbidities and children with permanent disabilities
2. indigenous and quilombolas
3. children who live in a home with people at high risk of the severe evolution of Covid
4. the entire audience from 5 to 11 years old, starting with the oldest

20.4 million

is the estimated target audience for vaccination; more than 40 million doses are needed

8 weeks

is the interval between the first and second dose in children aged 5 to 11 years