In an interview with CNN Radio, the pediatrician and director of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), Flavia Bravo, said that the medical community is rooting for the approval of Coronavac for children.
“We hope that it will be approved as soon as possible, it uses old technology and we have the results of what was presented by the Butantan Institute, it will be very welcome to expand this phase of vaccines more quickly”, he defended.
Butantan reported last Tuesday (4) that a phase 3 study concluded that the immunizing agent against Covid-19 is safe for children and adolescents from six months to 17 years of age.
So far, the National Health Surveillance Agency has only approved Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and adolescents. Anvisa charged the Institute for more data for the guarantee.
The pediatrician believes that vaccinating children is essential since “you cannot overlook the more than 34,000 cases of hospitalization of children by Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.”
She believes that the purchase of pediatric doses of Pfizer’s immunizer – which has fewer antigens than for adults – could have been expedited “after Anvisa’s approval, which was based on meticulous criteria, with other medical associations supporting.”
Flavia said that the public hearing proposed by the Ministry of Health hindered the immunization process. The expectation, now, is to publicize the rules for the vaccination of children.
“I understand that it depends on the arrival of doses, we have few doses available, it is possible that this situation of escalation will also happen with children and it will be necessary to start with immunosuppressed patients.”
The director of SBIm also reinforced that it is “important to expand vaccination for children and complete the cycle for other age groups” so that the virus does not circulate and “have a chance to control the pandemic”.
Reference: CNN Brasil
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