Covid-19: The government delivers an STF immunization plan with 108 million doses for priority groups | Politics

The document, however, does not present a date for the start of vaccination for members of these groups, which include health professionals and the elderly, among others.

A technical note, which accompanies the plan sent to the Supreme Court, says that the forecast is for these priority groups to be vaccinated during the first half of 2021.

READ THE FULL DOCUMENT

The document delivered to the STF is entitled “National Plan for the Operationalization of Vaccination against Covid-19”, signed by the Ministry of Health. The material was attached to the actions that are being processed in the STF on the subject (see more details at the end of this report).

The plan is divided into 10 axes, including vaccines, the budget to enable vaccination and communication. Despite the document, there is still no vaccine released by the National Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in the country.

According to the material sent to the STF, Brazil “guaranteed” 300 million doses of vaccines through three agreements:

• Fiocruz / Astrazeneca: 100.4 million doses until July and another 30 million in the second semester;
• Covax facility: 42.5 million doses
• Pfizer: 70 million doses (still under negotiation)

The figures include negotiations to purchase the Pfizer vaccine, which is already used in the UK and has been approved for emergency use by the US drug regulatory agency, the FDA.

According to the plan, stopping the circulation of the virus in Brazil depends on a “highly effective” vaccine taken by more than 70% of the population. According to the government, although vaccines are not widely available in the world, it is necessary to define priority groups to “contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality” from Covid-19.

The plan has a table with an estimate of how many people should be vaccinated in each priority group, based on the schedule and number of doses already agreed by the government of the “Oxford vaccine”, produced in partnership by the British university and the AstraZeneca company. which has a partnership in Brazil with Fiocruz.

The plan defines priority groups for vaccination. This step is divided into four phases. Adding the four phases of the priority groups, the plan foresees 108.3 million doses.

The Ministry of Health considers in the plan that the groups are “preliminary” and are subject to changes based on the indications of the vaccine after the approval of Anvisa, as well as possible contraindications.

• Health workers: 5,886,718 people
• People over 80: 4,266,553
• People from 75 to 79 years old: 3,480,532
• Institutionalized persons aged 60 or over: 198,249
• Indigenous: 2 410,348
• Estimated number of doses (two doses per person) + 5% loss: 29,909,040

• People aged 70 to 74: 5,174,382
• People aged 65 to 69: 7,081,676
• People aged 60 to 64: 9,091,902
• Estimated number of doses (two doses per person) + 5% loss: 44,830,716

• People with comorbidities: 12,661,921
• Estimated number of doses (two doses per person) + 5% loss: 26,590,034

• Teachers, basic to higher level: 2,344,373
• Security and rescue forces: 850,496
• Prison system officials: 144,451
• Estimated number of doses (two doses per person) + 5% loss: 7,012,572

The logistical axis of the plan deals with receiving, storing, sending and distributing vaccination supplies. According to the Ministry of Health, logistics is carried out by a subcontracted company.

The government has a central complex in Guarulhos (SP), next to the São Paulo city airport. The structure also has three other locations (Brasilia, Recife and Rio de Janeiro).

The ministry said it has a fleet of 150 “refrigerated” vehicles. The plan mentions the delivery of supplies by road to: Santa Catarina, Espirito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Distrito Federal, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais and other states within a radius of 1,400 km.

It is also planned to send them by air to distribution points, from where the material will travel by road. In the Northeast, Recife will receive the material transported by airplanes.

In the North, the government has agreements with Azul and Latam airlines, as well as private cargo plane companies, with deliveries in Manaus, from where it goes to Rio Branco, Porto Velho and Boa Vista. The supplies will also be sent by plane to Belém, bound for Macapá.

The plan informs that SUS health professionals who will work in vaccination campaigns will be trained, especially for those who work in Primary Health Care and in more than 38 thousand vaccination rooms in the country. The course will be in the form of Distance Education (DE).

The case began to be analyzed in a virtual plenary session, but was withdrawn by the President of the Court, Minister Luiz Fux. The rapporteur of the case at the STF, Minister Ricardo Lewandowski had advanced the vote, in favor of the federal government presenting a plan detailing the strategies and actions to ensure the supply of vaccines for the coronavirus within 30 days.

Days later, the federal government presented a “preliminary strategy” to vaccinate the population against Covid-19. According to the Ministry of Health, the expectation is to immunize 109.5 million people.