RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Once the Covid-19 vaccine is approved, it will not be offered to the entire population in 2021. According to the Ministry of Health, it will only be offered to groups at higher risk of exposure and complications from the disease.
The government will share a preliminary plan with health experts and Secretaries on Tuesday, December 1st. The Ministry had mentioned starting with priority cases, such as the elderly, chronically ill, and health professionals.
“We do not have a vaccine for the entire population. Also, the studies do not foresee working with all age groups,” said the National Immunization Program coordinator, Francieli Fantinato.
Ministry of Health Executive Secretary Elcio Franco compared the strategy with that of the flu vaccination campaigns. Prioritization depends on the epidemiological scenario and the indications for the immunizers.
“Our goal is to vaccinate 80 million Brazilians per year. We aren’t talking about the entire population.” According to him, this discussion is happening in other countries. Brazil already has agreements to immunize a third of its population.
Source: Folha de S.Paulo