Minister of Health surprised by the approval of vaccines by parliament

MArta Temido told RTP that "the inclusion that had been made had not yet been advocated by DGS".

"We are also evaluating the direction in which the wording of the standard will eventually be published," he said, adding that "there are three vaccines, one rotavirus, one against meningitis B and one against HPV. Regarding the first two, the National Immunization Commission has not concluded the need for its universalization, "he said.

Ordem dos Medicos (OM) considered it a mistake that Parliament approved the inclusion of three new vaccines in the National Immunization Program (NIP) without having heard the Directorate General of Health, which is studying always the question.

Miguel Guimarães, an OM member, told Lusa that he "worries a lot" that MPs "interfere with good health practices", especially when There is an independent technical committee composed of "people with specific scientific knowledge". in the field of immunization "which studies whether the three vaccines should be part of the national immunization program.

The integration of Meningitis B, Rotavirus and HPV vaccines for boys into the PNV was approved on Tuesday when the 2019 special state budget was voted on.

"I think that the Assembly of the Republic has made a bad decision without hearing the general direction of health.It is a lack of respect for health professionals and the general direction of health itself. same, "said the medical staff.

"It's an error that needs to be corrected," he said, stressing that it was "vital that all vaccines against PNV have an analysis and a agreement based on scientific evidence ".

The first proposal voted on Wednesday for the enlargement of the PNV was that of the PCP, approved by the supporters, PSD and BE, the votes against the PS and the abstention of the CDS-PP.

The EB also proposed to include meningitis B and rotavirus vaccines and to extend the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to men.

The proposal for the ENP was to extend the HPV vaccine to boys.