MPF investigates application of expired vaccine in children in PB, says Queiroga

The Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, said that the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) is following the case of the application of wrong doses to children who were vaccinated against Covid-19.

About 60 children in Lucena, Paraíba, received expired and adult immunizations before pediatric doses arrived in the country.

“An administrative process has already been initiated to determine the responsibilities. The Federal Public Ministry is following the case. Naturally, we do not want to seek punishment from anyone, but of course it has to be investigated so that events like this do not happen again,” he said. the minister in an interview with CNN Brasil.

The minister said that the ministry monitors all cases and that he even talked to the city’s mayor, Leo Bandeira (Solidarity), with the health authorities and with the mother of one of the children who received the wrong vaccine.

The immunization of this age group entered the Ministry’s national vaccination plan on January 5th. The first doses arrived in Brazil on January 13th.

Queiroga highlighted that vaccines must be applied according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).

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.

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.