By Andrea Hargraves 
The Minister of Health, Marcelo Quiroga, does not rule out the interchangeability of vaccines against Covid-19, which could be adopted more widely in the country, as long as there is scientific support. These statements were made during the launch of the pilot program for mass testing at the Import Expo, in Brasilia, today.
And about the anticipation of the Pfizer company’s strengthening, the minister said that the time period from the three months set by the Ministry of Health will be reduced to 21 days, as the pharmaceutical bulletin states, once the number of Brazilians reaches the second dose. progress.
Currently, the Department of Health only recommends alternating between a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines for pregnant women who have received the first dose of AstraZeneca. “There is guidance for pregnant women who have used AstraZeneca for medical reasons of safety,” he said.
According to the minister, the most comprehensive recommendation will only be adopted if there is any problem with long delays in AstraZeneca deliveries, as long as the science allows for expanded exchange potential. In this case, the procedure will be announced by the National Immunization Program (PNI). However, the Minister stressed that the Ministry has a great relationship with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and that there should be no delay.
“AstraZeneca vaccines are normally distributed by Fiocruz. There has been the right behavior of the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, which has placed a technology order to produce this vaccine with IFA (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient), and Fiocruz has the capacity to produce more than one million doses of vaccine per day.”
Regarding the different range of doses, Quiroga explained that the Ministry of Health contracted a study to evaluate the best strategy for applying the second dose, whether it is with the same vaccine used in the first dose or combined with another immunizing agent from PNI. “Following the responses in this study, and this is happening quickly, we will actually have a second dose progressing to the population over 18. This is the time to consider the application of a third dose, which will follow the criteria adopted from the start, starting with the elderly.”