No deadline has been set for the beginning of the vaccination for this age group in Brazil’s national immunization program. The decision will be made by the Ministry of Health.
In the first two years of the outbreak, 1,439 kids aged up to five died from COVID-19 in the country. Nearly half of the cases are reported in the Northeast.
The Butantan vaccine is called “trivalent,” after its capacity to generate immune responses against three variants of the influenza virus: H1N1, the B strain, and H3N2.
In case the request is granted by Brazil’s drug regulator Anvisa, Coronavac may be the first vaccine against coronavirus authorized for children from 3 years onwards.
The vaccine includes ButanVac - an immunizer produced by Butantan, which is being evaluated in clinical trials, and the influenza vaccine, also produced by the institute.