by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense:
The Brazilian Ministry of Health has added the COVID-19 vaccine to the country’s National Immunization Program (PNI) for children 6 months to 5 years old, Agência Brasil reported.
The new policy will take effect in 2024, despite growing opposition among Brazilians and testimony by experts highlighting concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for children and increased incidences of myocarditis, pericarditis and other conditions among young vaccinated individuals.
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Despite these concerns, which were addressed in a recent hearing before Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies and by several opposition lawmakers, Brazilian Minister of Health Nísia Trindade defended the new policy, while the Brazilian government said families of unvaccinated children will not receive support from the Bolsa Família welfare program.
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for young children, a bill under consideration by the Brazilian Senate would establish vaccination centers in the country’s schools.
Brazilian government claims new policy aligned with WHO recommendations
According to Brasil 61, the PNI will require three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The first two doses will be administered four weeks apart, while the third dose will be administered eight weeks after the second dose.
Brazilian newspaper O Dia reported that the COVID-19 vaccines that will be available to children include Pfizer’s pediatric formulation for children 6 months to 5 years of age and the Chinese-made CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine.
The decision to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for young children “was taken on the basis of global scientific evidence and epidemiological data of cases and deaths from the disease in the country,” O Dia reported.
According to O Globo, Trindade cited an increase in cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) among children in Brazil as a factor that led to the new policy.
Trindade said over 3,000 cases of SARS were identified in children under age 1, and more than 1,000 cases were reported in children ages 1-4.
“The [Health] Ministry also explained that it follows the guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), which in March of this year recommended that immunization be a priority for the high-risk population, such as people with significant comorbidities, including children 6 months or older,” O Dia reported.
According to CNN Brasil, the COVID-19 vaccine also will be prioritized for other “high-risk” groups, including the elderly, immunocompromised, the permanently disabled, pregnant and postpartum women, health workers, those with comorbidities, Indigenous peoples, residents of long-term care facilities, the homeless, the incarcerated and prison staff.
“In Brazil, we have slightly expanded the group compared to WHO’s recommendations, which are more limited,” said Ethel Maciel, secretary of health surveillance for the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
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