At least seven capitals in Brazil are without the Covid-19 vaccine. The bivalent version is missing in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belém, Curitiba, Recife, Porto Alegre and São Luís, because the Ministry of Health delayed the purchase of new batches of the vaccine and twice postponed the start of the vaccination campaign priority groups, first from March to April and then from April to May.
The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, denied that there was a delay in purchasing vaccines. “There is data involving bids and purchases, which have to be observed as in any bid, she said in an interview with GloboNews, referring to the purchase of 12.5 million doses from the American pharmaceutical company Modernawho signed a contract with the folder last Friday, the 19th, and which should arrive in the country in 15 days, distributed by Adium.
According to the Ministry, an emergency tender was opened to purchase the Pfizer vaccine on December 21, but the delay was due to a dispute between Pfizer and Moderna, which also had its vaccine, Spikevax, approved by the National Agency Health (Anvisa) in March.
According to the rules of the National Immunization Program (PNI), priority groups such as those over 60 years of age, immunocompromised people and pregnant women or women who have just given birth must be vaccinated every six months. Health professionals and people with comorbidities must receive a booster dose every year. Children between 6 months and 5 years of age are also the target audience for the 2024 campaign.
The new vaccine
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Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) immunizer, composed of synthetic mRNA that encodes the spike protein of the XBB 1.5 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2. The strain is from the XBB lineage and derived from the Ômicron variant – one of the most transmissible, although it does not develop severe disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the pharmaceutical company, the single-dose immunizer has monovalent protection, that is, it only works against one variant of the virus. For children aged 6 months to 4 years without previous infection, however, the indication is two doses of 0.25 milliliters (ml).
Like any and all vaccines, Spikevax does not guarantee full protection against exposure to the virus, so prevention is important, even after immunization.
