Pediatric vaccines arrive this Monday in Portugal
The first batch of pediatric vaccines against covid-19 arrives in Portugal this Monday, with the availability of vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years to start on the weekend of December 18th and 19th.
The Deputy Secretary of State and Health, António Lacerda Sales, the president of Infarmed – National Authority for Medicines and Health Products, Rui Ivo, and the President of the Service for Common Use of Hospitals (SUCH), Paulo Sousa, accompany the arrival of the first batch, at 7.45 am, at the Polo Logístico and Industrial de Arazede, in Montemor-o-Velho.
At a press conference on Friday, António Lacerda Sales announced that, from Monday, there will be open self-scheduling for the vaccine and that children with priority comorbidities in vaccination, regardless of age, as long as they have a medical prescription.
In these cases, they just need to go to the vaccination centers, explained Lacerda Sales, adding that these days there will be no vaccination of centered adults, with the objective of “creating conditions so that the process runs smoothly”.
“We have a plan, we have logistics, we have excellent health professionals and the confidence to apply”, guaranteed the secretary of state.
On Tuesday, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) recommended the vaccination of children between 5 and 11 years, following the position of the Technical Committee on Vaccination, which considered, based on available data, that the risk assessment- benefit, from an individual and public health perspective, is favorable to the vaccination of children in this age group.
The process starts on December 18th and 19th, in which the vaccination centers will be fully dedicated to this age group, and begins with children aged 11 and 10 and those who are at risk for severe covid-19.
From 9 to 7 years old, on the 6th, 7, 8 and 9 of January, 6 and 7 years old on the weekend of 15th and 16th of January and on the 22nd and 23rd, the administration of the first doses is concluded. with the five year olds.
From the 5th of February onwards, they will start to be administered as second doses, and the process should be completed by the 13th of March.