Brazil announces vaccination against coronavirus for children between 5 and 11 years old amid rising infections

Brazil authorized this Wednesday the vaccination against coronavirus of children between 5 and 11 years old in the middle of a controversy unleashed since its approval by the health authority and a significant increase in cases. “To all those parents who want to vaccinate their children, the Ministry of Health will guarantee doses of the vaccine” anticovid, said Minister Marcelo Queiroga in Brasilia.

The start of vaccination for this population, estimated at 20.5 million children, is scheduled for the second half of this month, after the arrival of the first pediatric immunizers from Pfizer-BioNtech, on the 13th, although a date was not specified.

It will be carried out in a decreasing way over the age group, prioritizing children with comorbidities or permanent deficiencies, and vulnerable groups, such as indigenous people. Parental authorization, present or in writing, will be mandatory.

The announcement, which joins Brazil A growing list of countries that extended vaccination to that age group, such as the United States and Germany, was carried out three weeks after the health authority, Anvisa, approved the vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old.

The doses will be given with an interval of eight weeks between each injection, instead of 21 days as in adults.

Until the announcement on Wednesday, controversies abounded, with criticism of the government for its alleged delay in the decision.

President Jair Bolsonaro, who was not vaccinated and said he will not immunize his 11-year-old daughter Laura, asked weeks ago to publish the names of those responsible for Anvisa’s decision, unleashing a wave of threats against the agency.

The Ministry of Health held a public consultation between December 23 and January 2 on the issue, in which it proposed that it be mandatory to present a medical prescription for children to receive the immunizer.

But that was rejected by a majority among nearly 100,000 participants, the Health ministry reported Tuesday.

Finally, the ministry ruled out imposing medical prescription, although it recommended prior consultation with a doctor.

Many specialists consider that the inclusion of children is key to protect them and stop the pandemic, at a time when the new omicron variant spreads in the country.

According to official data, more than 300 children between the ages of 5 and 11 died from covid-19 since the start of the health crisis until last December.

Brazil, which accumulates almost 620,000 deaths from covid-19, has 67% of the population fully vaccinated.

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