Bivalent vaccination has support from science – 03/03/2023 – Sou Ciência

The scientific evidence we have since the start of vaccination against Covid-19 in 2021 clearly shows that vaccines have saved and continue to save lives. And if they had been applied in Brazil earlier and in greater quantities, they would have prevented thousands of deaths between April and September 2021. This was the period in which Brazil still did not have a sufficient amount of vaccines, due to lack of mobilization by the Federal Government, the transmission of the gamma variant of the coronavirus was propagated for months. In that year, 94.5% of the Brazilian population wanted to take the vaccine, demonstrating broad adherence by the population and belief in science. From the moment that Brazil reached more than 70% of those vaccinated with two doses (complete initial vaccination schedule), we saw a drop in severe cases and deaths.

Unfortunately, last year, the vaccination adherence scenario was no longer favorable and the anti-vaccination movement gained ground, boosted by the election period. After losing the vaccine battle in 2021, denialists carried out an offensive in early 2022, fighting child vaccination against Covid-19 and other vaccines. In a survey by SoU_Ciência in November 2022 with 1,200 respondents across the country, we found that more than 30.4% of the population came to believe that the vaccine against Covid-19 has no scientific evidence and 46.8% of respondents consider vaccination a free individual choice.

We reached the end of 2022 with a scenario of hesitation and vaccine refusal in Brazil at levels never seen before. Fruit not only of denialist social movements, but which had, mainly, as a commanding voice and vanguard of obscurantism the Ministry of Health and Bolsonaro himself. In addition, we saw open “campaigns” and manifestos against vaccination, especially against childhood vaccination, the promotion of false information about adverse effects, including by denialist physicians or pseudoscientists who minimized transmission by Omicron and its subvariants.

Therefore, we still have to work hard to undo the enormous damage done by Bolsonaro’s denialist government, aided by his ideological doctors and pseudoscientists who preach anti-vaccination, anti-science and the farce of early treatment. All of us scientists, researchers, universities, institutes and civil society institutions must strongly engage to resume the successful history of vaccination in Brazil before the pandemic, an example of success and worldwide admiration, for its campaigns for its National Immunization Program .

Thus, the new and important vaccination campaign promoted by the current government with the direct participation of the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Vice President, Geraldo Alckmin, the Minister Nísia Trindade, the Secretary of Health Surveillance, Prof. Ethel Maciel and the entire team from the Ministry of Health, launched now on February 27th and with the presence of leaders, scientists and the population.

Here are some important information that should be taken up and strengthened:

1. Covid-19 vaccines are not experimental, they underwent pre-clinical and clinical testing before being approved. After that, starting in 2021, they were applied very successfully to millions and millions of people around the world;

2. The current campaign brings the bivalent vaccine, which is not new. It is an adapted vaccine, already known and studied and came to fight the original virus and also the mutated virus (Omicron variant and BA4/5 subvariants);

3. We still have serious cases of the disease and we cannot underestimate the virus. Vaccination is the most important form of protection against disease and in defense of life;

4. In the post-carnival period there was an increase in cases throughout Brazil.

Many questions are asked about the current campaign and about the bivalent vaccine. Based on scientific evidence and the possibilities of vaccination, some guidelines should be reinforced, such as:

1. In the first stage, people aged 70 or over must be vaccinated; those from 12 years old who have immunodeficiencies; those who live in long-term institutions and in quilombola, indigenous and riverside communities;

2. Pay attention, as the calendar changes from week to week.

3. To boost with the bivalent vaccine, you must have taken at least two doses of the vaccine against Covid-19.

4. People who have taken three or four doses can and should take the bivalent;

5. Adverse effects are similar to what we’ve seen with previous doses, but they last a few hours and are normal. Many people feel nothing.

Fresh air, times of reconstruction and a fundamental step towards the pro-vaccine, pro-science and pro-life journey that lies ahead.

We need to put an end to fake news. The battle against denialism continues and several viruses, in addition to Covid-19, expect our collective immunization to drop. Only trust and the mass use of the vaccine will be able to provide the necessary protection and help to reduce the circulation of different viruses in Brazil and in the world. Will we submit again to the plague regime of the obscurantists?

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