Doria announces booster of the Covid-19 vaccine starting this Thursday (18)

Governor João Doria (PSDB) announced that, as of this Thursday (18), people over 18 will start receiving a booster dose of immunizing agents against Covid-19. The application of the new injection can be performed five months after the basic vaccination schedule for all adults.

The announcement was made during a press conference at Palácio dos Bandeirantes, in São Paulo, this Wednesday (17) and comes a day after Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga announced the booster dose for all adults in the country.

“I want to congratulate the Ministry of Health for this successful measure that increases protection throughout the country,” said Doria. In the state of São Paulo, 710 thousand people can already receive the additional dose of the immunizing agent.

The City of São Paulo also announced, this Wednesday morning, that the booster doses will be applied from Thursday (18th). On Thursday, all those who received the second dose until the 27th of April can attend. On Friday, it’s the turn of those who took the second dose until the 17th of June.

Before, to application of the booster dose had been given to people over 60 years old, in addition to members of risk groups, such as patients undergoing chemotherapy, immunodeficiency, people living with HIV/AIDS, among other cases. For this public, doses were applied after six months of the complete vaccination cycle.

According to Regiane de Paula, general coordinator of the State Immunization Program, the state of São Paulo already had six million people who could have received the additional dose of the immunizing agent, but only three million received it.

“We ask that they return to the units and receive the third dose. And, moreover, especially the teenagers who did not go to the basic health units to take the second dose and complete the vaccination schedule, do it. This is the public that still needs it”, warned de Paula who said that in recent days there was a demand of 400 thousand people for the second dose, reducing the number of absentees to 7.5% in the state.

During the announcement on Tuesday, Minister Queiroga highlighted that the booster dose must be applied with a vaccine different from the one taken in the basic vaccination schedule. The guideline is that the booster is applied, preferably, with the Pfizer vaccine. In the absence of this immunizing agent, it can be applied to Astrazeneca or Janssen.

Queiroga also announced, in the same interview, that Janssen’s vaccine is now applied in two doses and, in the absence of Pfizer’s immunizing agent, it can be used as a booster. The decision surprised both Anvisa and the laboratory that produces the vaccine.

This is because there is still no release from Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) for the application of a second dose of the vaccine. Furthermore, the request for this analysis has not yet been placed by the laboratory.

Although there is still no formal request to Anvisa from the laboratory about applying the second dose and the booster dose, the Ministry of Health can make this type of definition.

This is because the legislation leaves room for the minister to “determine the performance of actions provided for in the competences” of Anvisa, such as deciding on the application of vaccines.

But the minister can only take this type of initiative in cases “that imply a risk to the health of the population” or in scenarios of inaction by Anvisa, even in accordance with current rules.