The state government of São Paulo announced, this Thursday (2), the reduction from 5 to 4 months of the minimum interval necessary for taking the booster dose of vaccines against Covid-19.
The measure is valid for those who took two doses of the immunizing agents Coronavac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer, and “it will benefit about 10 million people who were vaccinated in July and August”, says the government.
Those who took Janssen’s single-dose immunizing agent may receive an additional dose of the same immunizing agent after an interval of 2 months. However, in the absence of the Janssen vaccine, an additional dose of Pfizer may be given.
“The state currently has the logistical and technical conditions to expand vaccination and reduce the interval for applying doses so that everyone can be even more protected,” said the state Health Secretary, Jean Gorinchteyn.
The measure, initially recommended by the state’s Scientific Committee for Coronavirus, has as its context the confirmation of at least three cases of the Ômicron variant in the state, the proximity of the holiday season and the lack of mandatory presentation by those coming from abroad , from the proof of vaccination to enter Brazil.
A request to reduce the interval for applying the extra dose was made by the City of São Paulo to the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) on Thursday. The reasons presented to the agency were the same as those listed by the state government.
The arrival of Ômicron has already caused the New Year’s Eve party to be cancelled in the city of São Paulo. In the state scenario, the government has already moved back from the original date of overturning the mandatory use of masks in open environments on December 11th.
*Subject under update
Reference: CNN Brasil
