Rio de Janeiro begins pneumococcal vaccination for children up to 5 years old.

Immunizing agent that expands protection against pneumococcal diseases is available for children up to 5 years old - Edu Kapps / SMS

The Municipal Health Department (SMS) of Rio de Janeiro began, this Monday (June 22nd), the vaccination of children up to 5 years old with the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, Pneumo 20, after the incorporation of the immunizing agent into the childhood vaccination schedule by the Ministry of Health. The formula protects against diseases caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, known as pneumococcus, responsible for infections ranging from mild conditions, such as otitis and sinusitis, to severe forms, such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis.

The availability of the Pneumo 20 vaccine represents an important advance for the health of the population, especially young children, the group most vulnerable to invasive pneumococcal diseases. The vaccine protects against 20 serotypes of the bacteria, expanding protection compared to currently used vaccines, in addition to contributing to the reduction of hospitalizations, sequelae, and deaths. The SMS (Municipal Health Secretariat) aims to vaccinate 95% of the target population in routine childhood vaccinations.

As per the Ministry of Health's guidelines, in this first phase of implementation, there will be a transition between the pneumococcal 10 and pneumococcal 20 vaccines. The basic vaccination schedule for children will be as follows: the first dose at two months of age with pneumococcal 20; the second dose with pneumococcal 10 at four months; and finally, at 12 months, a booster dose with pneumococcal 20.

Children who have already started the vaccination schedule with pneumococcal 10 will complete the vaccination with pneumococcal 20, respecting their age and individual vaccination history. The vaccine can be administered simultaneously with other vaccines in the routine schedule, without compromising the immune response.

– Our job is to prevent children from being hospitalized due to preventable diseases, and the Pneumo 20 vaccine significantly expands this protection. It's a vaccine that costs approximately R$ 500 in the private sector, which has been incorporated by the Ministry of Health into the childhood vaccination schedule and is now available throughout the municipal network. Therefore, we ask parents and guardians not to delay, to seek to immunize their children as soon as possible – says the municipal Secretary of Health, Rodrigo Prado.

The vaccine is available at all 243 vaccination centers in the municipal network, including family clinics, municipal health centers, the Botafogo Super Center for Vaccination, the North Zone Super Center for Vaccination, and the Park Shopping Super Center for Vaccination. To receive the vaccine, it is necessary to present the child's identification document and, preferably, the vaccination card or other vaccination certificate, allowing for the assessment of the most appropriate schedule.

Vaccination for patients with special conditions

In a later phase, the Pneumo 20 vaccine will also be made available to people with special medical conditions. In these cases, there will be a transition between the Pneumo 13 and Pneumo 23 vaccines, according to individual assessment and the recommended schedules.

According to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, the conditions covered in this phase include people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer patients, transplant recipients, immunodeficiencies, chronic kidney, lung, heart and liver diseases, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and disabling neurological diseases, among others.

Vaccination for these groups will be carried out exclusively at the Special Immunobiological Reference Centers (CRIE) of the Rocha Maia Municipal Hospital and the National Institute of Infectology (INI), in addition to the Super Carioca Vaccination Center in the North Zone and the Super Carioca Vaccination Center in the West Zone.