Covid vaccine enters the children’s calendar – 01/01/2024 – Balance and Health

From January 1st, vaccination against Covid for children aged six months to under five years old will be on the National Vaccination Calendar. Other audiences in the priority group will also be covered.

In children, the Ministry of Health’s recommendation is to apply the first dose of the vaccine at six months of age, the second at seven months and the third at nine months.

Next, ask your questions about vaccination against Covid in 2024.

Which vaccine will be used in children?

According to the Ministry of Health, it will be the pediatric Pfizer with a burgundy lid. From 5 to 11 years old, it will be the orange-capped Pfizer, which is recommended for this age group. From 12 years old, it will be the bivalent Pfizer vaccine (gray cap).

According to Renato Kfouri, vice-president of SBIm (Brazilian Society of Immunizations), there is Pfizer baby vaccine in stock at the Ministry of Health, but the position of the technical chamber of the Brazilian Pediatrics and Immunization societies is that the monovalent vaccine be used in children of Pfizer updated to the XBB variant. 1.5. The new vaccine is approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).

“We give preference and recommend that, if the Ministry of Health can acquire these pediatric vaccines with the XBB monovalent formulation, it will be better than the original vaccine that is still in stock. This, obviously, means giving up, discarding vaccines that have not been used , were purchased and, unfortunately, with the low vaccination coverage, they were not used”, says Kfouri.

Can the vaccine be administered alongside the others on the children’s calendar?

Yes. It can be administered alongside the other vaccines on the calendar, simultaneously or at any interval. There is no contraindication. If you have an acute febrile illness, postpone vaccination. “If there was an allergic reaction to the first dose, you should be careful with the second and subsequent doses”, warns the specialist.

Can children aged six months to under five years of age who are not vaccinated or have missed doses be vaccinated?

Yes. They must complete the three-dose schedule, following the recommended interval of four weeks between the first and second doses and eight weeks between the second and third doses.

Should children who have already been immunized get the vaccine again?

No. Those who have already received three doses against Covid do not need to be vaccinated at this time.

OTHER AUDIENCES

Who is part of the priority group, according to the Ministry of Health?

In addition to people over six months and under five years of age, the priority group includes elderly people, immunocompromised people, pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, health workers, people with comorbidities, indigenous people, riverside dwellers, quilombolas, people living in long-term care institutions and their workers. , people with permanent disabilities, those deprived of liberty over 18 years of age, teenagers and young people undergoing socio-educational measures, prison system employees and homeless people.

Which vaccine will be used in the priority group?

Pfizer bivalent (gray cap). The Ministry of Health stated, in a note, that if there are regulatory approvals for new vaccines, the recommendations and schemes may be updated.

Even before approval by Anvisa —on December 19— of the registration of the updated monovalent vaccine for the XBB variant. 1.5, the department had already started the acquisition process for 2024, with the expectation of supplying the most updated versions of immunizers against Covid.

The body clarifies that the vaccines currently in use by the PNI (National Immunization Program) continue to offer protection against serious forms of the disease. Groups able to receive them should not postpone vaccination.

What is the recommendation for the priority group?

For people aged 60 or over, immunocompromised, pregnant and postpartum women, the interval between doses will be six months.

The remaining audiences in the priority group will take the vaccine once a year.

Will anyone who does not fit into the priority group be able to get the Covid vaccine?

It will depend on the availability of doses. Those who do not belong to the target audience, but have not been vaccinated against Covid or have not completed the primary schedule — two doses at least four weeks apart — will be able to seek immunization at the health center.

Are vaccines safe?

Yes, they are authorized for use by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency), after having demonstrated favorable efficacy and safety in large phase 3 clinical studies.

Immunizers go through a strict quality assessment process before being distributed. The evaluation is carried out by the National Institute for Health Quality Control of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the institution responsible for analyzing immunobiologicals acquired by the SUS.

I have Covid or recently had an infection. Should I wait to take it?

Yes. The same goes for other respiratory infections, even if it’s not Covid. In this case, there are three scenarios:

Mild or asymptomatic Covid: take the vaccine four weeks after the onset of symptoms or diagnosis.

Severe Covid: take the vaccine three months after the onset of symptoms or diagnosis.

Other infections: take the vaccine when your health improves.

For those who have had recent exposure to the virus, such as having met someone with confirmed infection, it is also recommended to wait to make sure you have not been infected and then take the vaccine. If you have become infected, consider the recommendations indicated for those who have had the disease confirmed.

Are there other contraindications?
As a rule, it is not recommended to take the bivalent vaccine if you have a severe allergy to any of the drug’s components.

What are the side effects of bivalent?

In general, the most common effects are pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, body aches (myalgia), fever and chills.