From Monday (1st), the Covid-19 vaccine will become mandatory for children. Last October, the Ministry of Health included the vaccine in the National Immunization Program (PNI) and decided that children aged six months and above should be vaccinated against Covid-19. The government also stated that the vaccine should be reconstituted every year, as happens with flu vaccines.
According to the Ministry of Health, in 2024, the focus will be on the public aged 6 months to 5 years. Children in this age group should receive three doses, the first at six months, the second at seven months, and the third at nine months. From age 5, only children who are part of the priority group will receive a booster dose, including those with comorbidities and permanent disabilities.
a Al-Shaab newspaper I have previously indicated that the Ministry of Health’s decision to vaccinate infants and children against Covid-19 goes in the opposite direction to what scientific evidence indicates. There is no consensus on the necessity of vaccination against the disease in children, as they are considered a low-risk group.
Parents who do not vaccinate their children may lose social benefits, such as Bolsa Familia, or even be punished by paying a fine.
In the House of Representatives, a bill has been introduced that would provide for the detention of parents who do not vaccinate their children for up to a year in 2023. In the Senate, proposals with harsher penalties are also being discussed. The texts are gaining strength with interest from pharmaceutical companies investing to directly influence parliamentarians.
