Hospitalizations of children and adolescents by Covid grow 61% in SP

The number of children and adolescents hospitalized for Covid-19 in ICUs (Intensive Care Units) in the state of São Paulo grew by 61% in two months.

As of early November 2021, 109 children were hospitalized. In January, this number reached 171 people aged up to 17 years.

“The data show the need to accelerate childhood vaccination. In fact, we could have started vaccination earlier by the Ministry of Health instead of discussing, delaying, promoting hearing and other useless things, when medicine and pediatric pediatric specialists recommended immediate vaccination”, said Governor João Doria (PSDB), at a press conference at Palácio dos Bandeirantes, this Wednesday (19).

The immunization of children began last Friday (14) in the state with the Pfizer vaccine, the only one approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) for use in this age group. Until Tuesday (18), at 17:00, about 23,200 children had received the vaccine.

The first vaccinated was Davi Seremramiwe Xavante, 8, an indigenous Xavante from Mato Grosso. He is being treated for a genetic disease in São Paulo.

The pediatric doses arrived in Brazil at dawn on Thursday (13) to be distributed to the states. São Paulo received 234 thousand doses.

The state administration is still betting on the approval of Coronavac to expand the vaccination campaign for children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years. According to the government, there are at least 15 million doses available for this purpose, 10 million of which are reserved for the state.

The government expects to receive approval from Anvisa this Thursday (20), when it will immediately start vaccination with the Butantan immunizer if approved.

The state has 54.1% of intensive care beds occupied, while the metropolitan region of the city has 60.5%. There are 2,842 admitted to the ICU.

Public and private hospitals in São Paulo also recorded an increase in diagnoses and care for children with Covid-19, in addition to a slight upward trend in hospitalizations. The blackout of data from the Ministry of Health and the underreporting in the states and municipalities does not allow us to know the national number of children with the disease, but the discharge was noticed in clinics and hospitals.

report of leaf showed that at the Hospital Infantil Sabará, in the capital of São Paulo, the attendance of children up to ten years old with Covid began to increase between December 12th and 18th. The number jumped from one case a week to 15 in the next two weeks. The positivity rate in Covid tests in the same period went from 2% to 20%.

Hospitalizations in ICUs (Intensive Care Units) in São Paulo had already increased by 91% after the holiday season. As of January 3, there were 1,141 patients in intensive care beds in the state, with 468 new records that day. Just over a week later, on the 11th, there were 1,727 patients admitted to ICU beds, with 895 new records, or 91% more.

Growth was also observed in some regions of the state, the main one being Greater São Paulo.

Vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 with permanent disabilities –physical, sensory or intellectual– and indigenous villagers began this Monday (17) in the city of São Paulo. Those who have any type of comorbidity can receive the immunizing agent since Tuesday (18).

Parents or guardians can pre-register for vaccination of children on the Vacina Já website. Registration is optional and does not work as an appointment, but it speeds up the service.