SP will prioritize children with comorbidities in vaccination against Covid

In its campaign to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11 against Covid-19, the state of São Paulo intends to prioritize indigenous and quilombola minors, as well as those with disabilities and comorbidities.

The forecast of the state administration is that 250 thousand children are immunized per day.

The Secretary of State for Health did not say whether the ages will be staggered, whether it will be necessary to present a medical certificate to prove comorbidities and what they are.

In addition to the vaccination posts, the new stage of the campaign will include the immunization of children in state public schools. At least 225 institutions were registered by the government.

The cards aimed at this audience have already been produced.

The government awaits the sending of doses by the Ministry of Health to start the campaign. Once delivered, it can be started the next day.

The state administration is still waiting for the approval of the emergency use of Coronavac for children. This would allow the immediate use of the use of 12 million doses, Doria said at a press conference on Wednesday (5).

The request to Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency), made last month, is for the immunizing agent to be applied to children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years.

The City of São Paulo stated in a note, through the Municipal Health Department, that it awaits guidelines from the Ministry of Health for the application of vaccines, as well as the receipt of doses by the PNI (National Immunization Plan) and PEI (State Plan). of Immunization).

The federal government’s forecast is that Pfizer’s vaccines aimed at children will arrive next week, but they need to go through a safety process before being distributed.

Minister Marcelo Queiroga said last Monday (3) that the doses should be sent to the states in the second half of January, but did not confirm the volume to be delivered.

The folder should receive by March at least 20 million pediatric doses of Pfizer against Covid-19, enough to immunize about half of the population of children aged 5 to 11 years.

The immunizers will be delivered through a government contract to receive 100 million vaccines from Pfizer in 2022, which can be expanded to 150 million units.

The ministry planned to establish a prescription requirement for vaccinating children. However, the portfolio backed off after a public consultation in which the majority of the ears were against the measure. About 100,000 people demonstrated.

Anvisa approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in the 5-11 age group on December 16.

After the agency’s decision, President Bolsonaro opened a campaign to discourage children from vaccinating. Queiroga then decided to put the topic under public consultation.

According to Eduardo Ribeiro, executive secretary of Health of São Paulo, in a press conference this Wednesday (5), the structure of the state is ready for the vaccination of this age group since the approval of the immunizer by Anvisa.

The secretary said that the speed of the campaign is essential, since more than 2,500 serious cases have already been registered in children, of which 93 have died.

“We have 4.5 million syringes and needles for all 645 municipalities, remembering that this is a specific syringe and needle for this child audience,” he said.