The Education and Culture Committee (CE) of the Federal Senate approved, this Tuesday (20/2), bill (PL) 826/19, which establishes the National Vaccination Program in Public Schools. Now, the text needs to be analyzed by the Senate plenary.
The text was authored by deputy Domingos Sávio (PSDB-MG) and was approved by the Chamber in September last year. The project determines that all public preschools and elementary schools participate in the program.
According to the PL, private schools interested in participating in the campaign will also be able to join the project, and must look for local health units. According to the text, health units and schools will be able to combine educational activities on the subject.
The project determines that schools must inform parents or guardians of the dates of visits by health teams, at least five days in advance, in addition to instructing students to bring their immunization cards.
The actions should take place after the start of the National Influenza Vaccination Campaign, and will include routine and campaign immunizations. The PL also establishes that, in addition to enrolled students, children and young people not enrolled in participating schools and adults in the community may also be immunized, if doses are available.
Without obliging vaccination
At the end of the campaign, schools will have up to five days to send the health unit a list of students who were not immunized, with data on those responsible and their addresses. Parents must also be informed about the importance of seeking a health unit.
The text does not require child immunization under any circumstances, but authorizes the health unit to carry out home visits to raise awareness among parents of non-immunized children about the importance.
Divergences
In the Education and Culture Committee, the text received a report from senator Marcelo Castro (MDB-PI), who was Minister of Health during the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT). Castro defended the project after the text was criticized by the opposition.
“It is a project that is more than mature. Simple, but beneficial, useful. It will engage public and private schools in Brazil. Vaccination is a collective act”, defended Castro.
Senator Magno Malta (PL-ES) argued that the text leaves room for mandating the immunization of children against Covid-19. “A freedom that is two parents is taken away, a freedom is invaded. When we talk about a campaign, it is not true because the National Immunization Program (PNI) has already been included, it is included in the National Vaccination Plan,” he stated.
After criticism, Castro reaffirmed that the project does not require childhood immunization, but requires schools to participate in promoting the campaign.
“It’s not written anywhere. It is an obligation for public schools to participate in the campaign. Participating in the campaign does not mean forcing the child to take a vaccine. There is no obligation to take a vaccine,” she said.
Despite objections from opposition senators, the project received 12 votes in favor and five against in the committee. If approved in plenary, the text will go to President Lula (PT) for approval.
