The Ministry of Health issued a technical note recommending the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19 for children between 6 months and 2 years of age with comorbidities .
The immunization schedule has three doses : the interval between the first two doses must be four weeks; the third dose will be applied after at least eight weeks of the second.
The folder highlighted the effectiveness and safety of the immunizer in this age group, noting that other countries also use it. The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved the use of this vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years old on September 16, 2022.
“For this evaluation, the Agency relied on the consultation and monitoring of a group of experts, who had access to the data from the studies and results presented by the laboratory. The information evaluated indicates that the vaccine is safe and effective also for children between 6 months and 4 years of age”, explains the note.
In addition, “the expansion of vaccination for this age group will provide greater security for parents whose children attend nurseries, schools and outdoor environments”. Another justification is the use of the Coronavac vaccine for children from 3 years of age.
According to the folder, this immunizer can be applied with the other vaccines provided for in the National Vaccination Calendar.
It is not recommended that children between 6 months and 2 years of age with comorbidities get Covid-19 vaccines from more than one manufacturer.
“On the interchangeability of Covid-19 vaccine, we emphasize that the primary series should always be carried out with the same immunizing agent, interchangeability with other Covid-19 vaccines is not recommended”.
Also according to the note, “the recommendation for children no comorbidities in this age group will be evaluated after approval for incorporation by the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies in the Unified Health System (Conitec) and availability of the immunizing agent”.
According to the Ministry of Health, the risk of developing severe cases of Covid decreases the lower the age, but in children under 2 the risk increased.
“This population had the incidence of SARS by Covid-19 and the mortality rate from the disease higher than the population between 3 and 19 years of age”, says the note.
The folder reported that, since the beginning of the pandemic to date, 1,465 deaths from Covid-19 in children under 2 years of age have been confirmed, and about 25,342 hospitalizations across the country.
Source: CNN Brasil
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