Four months after the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved the emergency use of Coronavac in 3- and 4-year-old children, only 5.5% of the Brazilian population in this age group received the two doses of the vaccine.
Data from the Covid-19 Vaccinometer (Ministry of Health) surveyed by Observa Infância (Childhood Observatory) (Fiocruz/Unifase) on November 7, 2022, show that 938,411 3- and 4-year-old children took the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 323,965 took both doses of the immunizer. In total, about 5.9 million children in this age group live in Brazil and must receive both doses of the vaccine.
"The delay in childhood vaccination against Covid-19 is worrisome, given that, until June 2022, Brazil recorded an average of 2 deaths per day from Covid-19 among children under 5 years old. Since the approval of the Pfizer pediatric vaccine by Anvisa on September 16, 26 children under 5 have already died as a result of the disease, equivalent to two deaths every three days," says Observa Infância (Childhood Observatory) coordinator Patricia Boccolini.
The survey is from VAX*SIM, a study that crosses large databases to investigate the role of social media, the Bolsa Família Program and access to Primary Health Care in vaccination coverage in children under five years old. The research is coordinated by the Observatory of Health in Childhood (Observa Infância), a joint initiative of Fiocruz and the Arthur Sá Earp Neto University Center (Unifase).
Observa Infância (Childhood Observatory)
The Observatory on Childhood Health (Observa Infância) is a scientific dissemination initiative to provide society with data and information on the health of children up to 5 years of age. The goal is to expand access to qualified information and facilitate the understanding of data obtained from national information systems.
The scientific evidence is the result of investigations developed by researchers Patricia and Cristiano Boccolini within the Institute of Communication and Scientific and Technological Information in Health (Icict/Fiocruz) and the Faculty of Medicine of Petrópolis (FMP), of the Arthur de Sá Earp Neto Center (Unifase), with resources from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Source: Fiocruz News Agency (AFN).