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03 dezembro 2020

Portugal terá 22 milhões de vacinas, gratuitas

Vacina será gratuita, facultativa e administrada no SNS: Lisboa, 02 dez 2020 (Lusa) - A ministra da Saúde disse hoje que a vacina contra a covid-19, que poderá chegar a Portugal já em janeiro, será gratuita, facultativa e administrada no Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS).

"Será obviamente uma vacinação gratuita, facultativa e a realizar no Serviço Nacional de Saúde", adiantou Marta Temido sobre o plano de vacinação contra a covid-19 que será apresentado na quinta-feira.

A governante falava aos jornalistas, em Lisboa, no final de uma reunião que contou com a participação do primeiro-ministro, António Costa, o coordenador da task-force criada pelo Governo para desenhar o plano de vacinação e os ministros de Estado e da  Presidência, Mariana Vieira da Silva, da Administração Interna, Eduardo Cabrita, e da Defesa Nacional, João Gomes Cravinho.

Questionada sobre a hipótese de a vacina ser dada nos centros de saúde ou em grandes centros de vacinação menos descentralizados, Marta Temido disse apenas que seria através do SNS, apontando dois cenários possíveis.

"Um primeiro momento em que haverá um contexto de maior escassez no acesso a vacinas e, portanto, também à semelhança daquilo que outros países têm estado a planear será um cenário mais controlado, mas depois admitimos que ao longo do ano de 2021 passemos para um cenário de maior abrangência com mais doses disponíveis e também maior expansão dos pontos de administração", explicou.

“Num cenário extremo de final de ano é equacionável que haja uma distribuição muito mais descentralizada do que num momento inicial”, realçando também que o processo de vacinação será longo e que os portugueses não se poderão "afastar das regras" a que se têm habituado em tempo de pandemia.


02 dezembro 2020

Must-Read Stories of the Pandemic

Ed Yong: Must-Read Stories of the Pandemic: Stand-out stories that help make sense of the coronavirus pandemic, curated by science journalist Ed Yong

The Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of science. Here’s how we can make the best use of them

The Covid-19 vaccines are a marvel of science. Here’s how we can make the best use of them: Vaccines that prevent symptomatic Covid infection in roughly 95% of people vaccinated — as the data from clinical trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines suggest — should, over time, help the country and the world return to a life where we can travel without quarantining; where sporting events can be played before live audiences, not cardboard cutouts; and where snowstorms are the only reasons school gets canceled.

But if we’re not careful, we could fail to take full advantage of the opportunity scientists and governments, pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic foundations have created for us.

And there’s a possibility that the pandemic off-ramp doesn’t merge with a straight road back to Normalville, but instead becomes a meandering country lane with the occasional detour. We may need to choose the right turns and avoid the potholes as we make our way to our destination. It will require patience.

COVID-19 vaccines in EU

COVID-19 vaccines

1 Like all medicines, vaccines are first tested in the laboratory. 

2 They are then tested on human volunteers in several rounds of studies called clinical trials. These trials help confirm how the vaccines work and ensure that their benefits outweigh any potential side effects or risks. 

3 Once there is sufficient data from research and clinical trials, companies can apply to the European Medicines Agency for authorisation to put the vaccine on the market. 

4 The European Medicines Agency evaluates all the data and conducts an independent and thorough scientific assessment of the vaccine. 

5 Based on the Agency’s scientific assessment, the European Commission grants a marketing authorisationin the EU. The vaccine can then be used

SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS 

The safety and effectiveness of vaccines which have received conditional marketing authorisations are rigorously monitored, as for all medicines, through the EU’s established medicines monitoring system

In addition, special measures are in place to quickly collect and evaluate new information. For example, manufacturers must usually send a safety report to the European Medicines Agency every six months. For COVID-19 vaccines, safety reports must be sent every month.  

The European Medicines Agency will set up additional large-scale safety monitoring given the exceptionally high numbers of people expected to receive the vaccines. 

Attempts to prevent vaccine injustice have provided questionable results

History repeats itself: Attempts to prevent vaccine injustice have provided questionable results: At last, the Covid-19 vaccines are coming. There have been historic attempts to secure shots in the arm for all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay. Why, then, does it again look like rich countries will get vaccines and the poor will have to wait in line?

  • Countries with 13% of the global population have pre-ordered half of all vaccines that will be made available
  • The historic attempt to have one global purchasing point is seriously underfunded
  • Rich countries have blocked a proposal by South Africa and India to produce the vaccine without patents until there is global immunity
  • There are few mechanisms in place to stop industry profiting from mostly publicly-funded vaccines

 

COVID-19 situation update for the EU/EEA and the UK, as of 2 December 2020

COVID-19 situation update for the EU/EEA and the UK: As of 02 December 2020, 13 365 555 cases have been reported in the EU/EEA and the UK: Portugal (300 462)

As of 02 December 2020, 330 489 deaths have been reported in the EU/EEA and the UK: Portugal (4 577)

14-day COVID-19 case notification rate per 100 000, weeks 46-47

What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 2 December

COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 2 December: Top stories: Britain and United States to roll out vaccines, the possible secret behind super spreaders and the UN urges all countries to designate seafarers as key workers.