The child vaccination schedule against Covid-19 remains suspended due to lack of doses in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. The Municipal Health Department of Rio de Janeiro (SMS-Rio) said that the expected arrival of vaccines is for next Thursday (3). The calendar should resume the next day, on Friday (4).
The Ministry of Health reported that it has already distributed more than 491,700 doses of pediatric vaccines against Covid-19 to the state of Rio de Janeiro. In the coming days, about 400,000 doses will be sent to the state, responsible for distribution to municipalities. According to the secretary of health, Daniel Soranz, the capital should receive about 100 thousand doses of Coronavac.
The vaccination campaign for children has been suspended in the capital of Rio de Janeiro since Tuesday (1). According to the statement published on Monday (31), vaccination with the first dose will continue to be available for people aged 12 and over and children aged 5 to 11 years with disabilities and/or comorbidities. In addition, the vaccine will also be available for the application of the second dose according to the date of proof.
People aged 18 and over who took the second dose at least four months ago can take the booster dose. The additional dose will be for people aged 18 or over who have immunosuppression and received three doses in the primary regimen.
In an interview with CNN, the municipal secretary of Health, Daniel Soranz, informed that there is an immense concern because it was the smallest adhesion to a vaccination campaign in history. According to him, only 39% of children aged 11 to 8 years, so far included in the calendar, are vaccinated. Adherence to the childhood vaccine against coronavirus is the lowest in the history of Rio de Janeiro.
“It’s a pretty low number. We need to reinforce with parents the importance of vaccinating their children. Covid is a disease that we do not know for sure how it will behave, if there will be another mutation of the virus, a more aggressive mutation for children. It is very important for parents to protect their children,” Soranz explained.
The city of Rio hopes to vaccinate 560,000 children between five and eleven years old. The vaccination schedule provided to immunize children until February 9, but the campaign has already been paralyzed twice due to lack of doses.
With another shipment of 33,000 doses from Pfizer due to arrive by the weekend, Soranz believes he could start vaccinating five-year-olds next week. The number of doses, however, is not enough for the entire target audience, since each age group has around 80,000 children, according to estimates by health authorities.
Increase in cases among children
In January 2022, Rio de Janeiro recorded 13,621 cases of Covid-19 in children aged zero to nine years. The amount of the month is higher than that recorded in the last two whole years. At the moment, according to the Municipal Health Department, 26 children are hospitalized in the public network of the capital.
Despite the low adherence, the return to school is maintained in the municipal public network for next Monday (7). According to Soranz, proof of vaccination will not be required.
“Children cannot be punished for their parents’ mistakes… This could increase truancy. Now, it is very important that parents are aware, that they understand that their unvaccinated child is much more susceptible to having severe forms and having Covid-19. We return to classes with a new panorama, with the teachers vaccinated, with most teachers already with a booster dose, with the children, with a large part of them, already with the first dose”, he said.
Active search for the unvaccinated
The prefecture plans, however, for the second week of classes, an active search for unvaccinated students. “We need to improve our active search strategies. We already do this with other vaccines, but we are also going to do it with the covid-19 vaccine. Try to find out which children in schools have not yet been vaccinated and send a form asking parents for authorization for this vaccination. Children can also be immunized in schools, with this authorization”, he explained.
Source: CNN Brasil
