The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said on Sunday that the initiative of parents to vaccinate minors between 12 and 15 years old is “essential”, but stressed that the process must include medical intervention.
“It is necessary that there is an initiative on the part of the parents and then it is received by the health authorities, of course through the intervention of the doctor,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The head of state was speaking to journalists in Brasilia, after being asked about the clarification given by the health authorities that vaccinating children aged 12 to 15 can only be done with a prescription.
The Directorate General of Health (DGS) clarified that the vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 years without diseases must be with a prescription, and the will of the parents is not enough.
And in a clarification sent to Lusa, the General Directorate of Food indicated, that according to the opinion issued on Friday, after hearing the Technical Committee for Vaccination against Covid-19, “any adolescent aged 12 to 15 years with a medical indication.”
The President of the Republic stressed, on Saturday, that the health authorities did not prohibit vaccination against Covid-19 for healthy children, considering that “this space remains open to the free choice of parents.”
“Health authorities have not prohibited vaccination in case children do not contract diseases or illnesses. This space remains open to the free choice of parents,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in response to the PSD’s recommendation, on Friday. Priority for covid-19 vaccinations for children 12 to 15 years of age with associated critical illnesses.
In response to a question to reporters, the head of state refused that the two positions were in conflict, considering that the explanation presented today “ends with a meeting” of what he himself said: “Only doctors decide if parents ask. Children cannot drive. To doctors, someone has to replace children ” .
On Friday, the Directorate General of Diseases recommended prioritizing vaccines against COVID-19 for children aged 12 to 15 years with comorbidities.
The DGS also considered that the possibility of vaccination should be given to all children in this age group by medical indications and according to the availability of vaccines, and send a decision on universal access for these ages to a later date.
“The Directorate General of Health will issue recommendations for universal vaccination of adolescents aged 12 to 15 years as soon as additional data on vaccination in these age groups are available,” the Director-General of Health, Graça Freitas, said on Friday.
Graça Freitas said that the list of chronic diseases that justify vaccination at these ages is already prepared and ready for publication, so that doctors can make a recommendation for vaccination.
Universal vaccination continues, for now, to be recommended only after the age of 16, in accordance with the ongoing vaccination scheme.
However, the DGS did not rule out future changes if there were “new variables of concern”.
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