The Ministry of Health recommends that people who make up the so-called priority public against Covid-19 and have received doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to reinforce immunization with the bivalent vaccine, which protects against the original strain of the virus that causes the disease and other variants.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was no longer produced by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in October 2022 due to low demand for the product.
The priority group includes people who are at risk of developing serious cases of the disease, such as the elderly over 60 years of age, people who live and work in long-term institutions, immunosuppressed people, indigenous people, riverside dwellers and quilombolas, pregnant and puerperal women, people with disabilities, among others.
“Currently, the Ministry of Health recommends reinforcement with the bivalent vaccine for the priority public. So far, more than 8 million doses have already been applied”, said the folder, in a note.
According to the folder, people who are not in the priority group can continue the vaccination schedule with monovalent vaccines, which are available to the public from 6 months of age. According to the ministry, they are “equally safe and effective for the population”.
“The Ministry of Health launched the National Movement for Vaccination to restore confidence in vaccines among the Brazilian population so that Brazil once again becomes a world reference in high vaccination coverage. The folder reinforces that vaccines are safe, effective and save lives.”