Queiroga defends public consultation on childhood vaccination and says governors "are not doctors"
"From what I know, the vast majority of them are not doctors, so they are interfering in their respective departments," he stated.
Brazil Agency – Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Wednesday (29) that the controversy regarding the public consultation on vaccination of children was settled. After the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) recommended vaccination of this age group with Pfizer's vaccine, the Ministry of Health decided to open a public consultation on the need for immunization of children aged five to 11 against covid-19.
"This is a settled matter. The Ministry [of Health]'s recommendation is there for all Brazilians to be aware of, so that civil society can express its opinion. Public consultation is an instrument of democracy; it broadens the discussion on the topic and gives parents more peace of mind so they can take their children to vaccination centers," Queiroga argued in an interview with journalists this morning.
The consultation started last Thursday (23) and will be available until January 2nd. The expectation is that the result will be released on the 5th.
When questioned about states that have already announced they will not follow the Ministry's recommendation that children aged 5 and older be immunized only with a doctor's prescription, Queiroga demanded that the states express their views in the public consultation. "Governors talk about prescriptions, mayors talk about prescriptions. As far as I know, the vast majority of them are not doctors, so they are interfering in their state and municipal health departments," he criticized.
Campaign
During the interview, Queiroga assessed that Brazil has made significant progress in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign. “The Brazilian population has made considerable progress in our immunization campaign: 80% of the vaccinable population, that is, those over 12 years of age, have received two doses of the vaccine. This shows the great success of our vaccination campaign. And the main point for this campaign's success is the freedom of Brazilians to seek out public policies,” he emphasized.
Regarding coronavirus immunization in the country, the Minister of Health acknowledged that three Brazilian states – Amapá, Roraima, and Maranhão – are still below the national average for vaccination coverage, a concern for the ministry. According to the minister, the situation in Maranhão is only not more difficult because of the capital, São Luís, where the vaccination rate is high.
Bahia
Marcelo Queiroga reiterated that the department is focused on assisting the people of Bahia, who have been severely affected by the heavy rains hitting the state. “Today we will work towards securing more resources for public health in Bahia. We will strengthen primary care with doctors and also specialized care. I have a technical team discussing this matter to see how we can strengthen the state with financial resources,” he emphasized.
The Minister of Health added that there are already emergency doctors from the National Force in the region, and that primary care doctors should arrive in Bahia in the first week of January to strengthen health efforts.
Bolsonaro
After President Jair Bolsonaro came into contact with people diagnosed with COVID-19, Marcelo Queiroga said that he spoke with the president by phone today and that "he is doing great."
Yesterday (28), federal deputy Coronel Armando (PSL-SC) tested positive for covid-19. The diagnosis occurred one day after the parliamentarian met with the president in São Francisco do Sul (SC), where Bolsonaro is resting with his family. “The president is great. In fact, we all have contact with people who have covid and, many times, we don't even know, because a good part is asymptomatic,” Queiroga minimized in an interview with the press in front of the Ministry of Health, in Brasília.
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