The survey by the National Confederation of Municipalities assesses the shortage of immunizers in the country. More young people are exposed, says the expert
At least one report out of five Brazilian cities lack of doses to vaccinate children from 3 to 11 years against COVID-19according to a survey by National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM) between the 22nd and Monday the 28th.
The survey also points out that the majority had an increase in cases of illness and demand for tests and a return to the recommendation of masks.
“It is a fact that so far we have vaccination as the greatest weapon against covid-19, followed by social distancing and personal protective measures, such as masks, for example. And we noticed from the survey that these measures have already started to be adopted by most of the municipalities facing an increase in the spread of the disease,” explains Paulo Ziulkoski, president of the CNM.
The survey listened to 1,970 municipalities in the last week of November. Of the 416 who reported lack of vaccines for children ages 3 to 11, the majority were in the Northeast (31.5%), followed by the Midwest (26.9%), the Southeast (19.4% ), from the South (17.5%) and from the North (10.8%).
The majority (85.1%) declare that they do not have sufficient stocks of coronavirus, the only product authorized for 3 and 4 year olds. Even a part of 152 cities (36.5%) report a lack pfizer for children, aimed at the public from 5 to 11 years old. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health sent a batch of Coronavac doses to be distributed to states and municipalities, but secretariats say the quantity was low for demand.
In Recife, vaccination in 3- and 4-year-olds was suspended on Wednesday itself and, according to the city hall of the Pernambuco capital, two letters were sent to the federal government, requesting the promised remittances, but none of them received a response.
This was the second time in a month that the Recife Health Secretariat (Sesau) had to suspend immunization. After the first interruption, in early November, the federal government sent 1,300 doses, which had already run out. So far, only 27.27% of 3- and 4-year-old children living in cities have been immunised.
OR Rio de Janeiro the first application of the vaccine in children aged 3 and 4 was also suspended, due to “the small amount of doses received in the last shipment sent by the Ministry of Health”, reads a note from the Health Secretariat. In the capital Rio de Janeiro, the stock sent was redirected to complete the vaccination program with the second application, in specific units.
The Federal District Health Secretariat reported that the vaccination is proceeding normally, but that it has only applied the Coronavac to 3 and 4-year-old children, while the others up to 11 years have received the pediatric dose of Pfizer. The file says it is waiting for the federal government to send in new batches, but there is no scheduled date yet for when that should happen.
The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvis) approved the Comirnaty vaccine, made by Pfizer, for children aged 6 months to 4 years. However, Coronavac remains the only immunizer incorporated by the Ministry of Health for children aged 3-4.
Pfizer said 24 million doses of its pediatric covid vaccine have been delivered to apply to children ages 5 to 11. The last batch, shipped in August with 2.06 million doses, is valid until January. The company also reiterates that it “has the production capacity to supply more vaccines” and “meet the needs of the country”.
OR Butantane Institute reported that it has transferred a total of 12 million Coronavac units to the Ministry of Health this year. Since the 10th, when it delivered the last additional batch of 1 million doses requested by the Ministry of Health, the institute has not been contacted by the federal government. At least 2.6 million doses have already been manufactured this quarter and are ready for delivery, valid for one year, Butantan says.
The expert underlines the importance of vaccination
Infectologist Júlio Croda, of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine, points out that this lack of vaccines may present an increased risk of hospitalization and death for children, as they constitute the second highest risk group for ICU admissions.
“COVID is the vaccine-preventable disease that has killed more children in this age group, more than any vaccine-preventable disease,” says the doctor, who points out that the deaths are associated with the lack of a comprehensive vaccination program. To mitigate the problem, he stresses the importance of acquiring and distributing more immunizers.
Sought after by the report, the ministry denied that there is a shortage of vaccines and said that “they are sent proportionally and equally”. A forecast of when new shipments should be sent through the National Immunization Program (PNI) was not sent. According to the president of the CNM, the organization will send a letter to the federal government “to present the survey data and seek solutions.”
As Estadão showed, the transition team of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) government stressed last week that Jair Bolsonaro’s administration had not yet purchased the doses needed to maintain immunization against covid in the country in 2023.
Previously, the precariousness of the available data led the Federal Audit Office (TCU) to inform the transition group that it was not even possible to assess the achievement of immunization goals in the country. A document points out that there is a lack of morbidity (acquired diseases) and mortality data relating to the post-covid 19 syndrome. The lack of information “may affect the planning of health policies, due to the high number of possible cases,” he says. /SUPPORTED BY STÉPHANIE ARAÚJO, SPECIAL FOR THE STATE
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
