RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In response to Federal Supreme Court (STF) Justice Ricardo Lewandowski, who instructed the government to state its position on the potential update of the National Immunization Program (PNI) to include vaccination of children from 5 to 11 years of age against Covid-19, the Ministry of Health requested more time to present its opinion.
Through documents sent to the STF on Sunday, December 19, by the Federal Attorney General (AGU), the Ministry of Health, in line with Minister Marcelo Queiroga, claimed that a position on the immunization – or otherwise – of this age group requires a “public hearing,” expected to be held only in January 2022.
Nevertheless, the Special Secretariat for the Fight against Covid-19 acknowledged before the STF that severe reactions to the vaccine are rare and that the benefits outweigh the risks.