Brazil gave the green light on Wednesday January 5 to the vaccination against Covid-19 of children aged 5 to 11, in a context of a sharp increase in cases and controversy since its approval by the health authorities.
Read also Should children be vaccinated against Covid-19?
"The Ministry of Health guarantees vaccine doses to all parents who want to vaccinate their children
," Brazilian Minister Marcelo Queiroga assured. This vaccination campaign for 5-11 year olds, or around 20.5 million children, should begin in mid-January, after the arrival of the first doses of the pediatric version of the Pfizer / BioNtech vaccine. It will take place in descending order of age, giving priority to children suffering from co-morbidities or disabilities as well as to the most vulnerable people, particularly within indigenous communities.
Brazil thus joins the increasingly long list of countries which have extended vaccination to the youngest, including the United States, Germany and France. The Brazilian health regulator Anvisa had approved in mid-December the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5-11 year olds.
Wednesday's announcement comes after controversy, with the government accused of delaying the move.
Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has always refused to be vaccinated, has said he will not vaccinate his 11-year-old daughter Laura.
The head of state had asked a few weeks ago for the publication of the names of those responsible, within Anvisa, for the approval of the anti-Covid vaccination of children.
An association of employees of this health regulator had denounced
"fascist"
methods .
Read alsoCovid-19: only 1% of vaccinated in 5-11 year olds
A public consultation was organized between December 23 and January 2, the ministry proposing to make compulsory the presentation of a medical prescription so that children can be vaccinated.
The proposal was rejected by a majority of nearly 100,000 participants, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Finally, the ministry ruled out imposing a medical prescription, but prior medical consultation is recommended.
Many experts believe that vaccinating children is essential to protect them and stem the pandemic, as the Omicron variant is spreading across the planet.
Brazil, which has recorded nearly 620,000 deaths from Covid, has 67% of its population fully vaccinated.
