Patients in UP will now be able to track the full cost of medicines in pharmacies online

Information was provided regarding Sardor Yusupovich Jonuzoqov defending his PhD dissertation in technical sciences. The dissertation topic is titled 'Improving the mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys operating in extreme environments.'

Access to primary healthcare in Ravensmead has significantly improved following the official opening of the new R105 million Community Day Care Centre (CDC), implemented by the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.

This modern facility, located at 82 Florida Street, replaced an outdated local clinic that could not cope with the growing population of the area. The new centre is designed to serve approximately 6800 patients each month.

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness officially opened the facility on October 2, 2026. Minister of Health and Wellness for the Western Cape, Mireille Wenger, emphasized the importance of investing in modern infrastructure to improve the provision of public healthcare.

Wenger stated that 'patient well-being was at the heart of this design, and through the expansion of services in this new clinic, we are building a stronger and more accessible healthcare system for all.'

Residents can now access a wide range of services in one place

Located near public transport routes, the new CDC offers an expanded range of medical services to optimize patient flow, reduce waiting times, and enhance comfort through its spacious design, natural lighting, and improved ventilation.

Residents can now access diverse services in one location, including:

• Emergency and minor ailments: urgent care, treatment of minor injuries, and pharmacy services.
• Maternal and child health: antenatal and postnatal care, infant services, immunization (EPI), and Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI).
• Treatment of chronic and infectious diseases: long-term disease management, nutritional support, HIV and tuberculosis services, and prevention of vertical transmission.
• Specialized care: dental services, mental health counselling, cervical cancer screening, contraception, and reproductive health.
• Youth services: dedicated youth zones and school health programs.

The clinic operates on weekdays from 7:00 to 16:30 and will be fully staffed with the existing team of healthcare professionals, including doctors, professional nurses, clinical nurses, and administrative staff, ensuring continuity of care.

North Tigerberg Division Director Dr. Michael Phillips highly praised the collaborative efforts that made the project a reality after many years of planning and negotiations. Dr. Phillips noted: 'Through all the pain, struggle, negotiations, and interactions, we have jointly realised the dream of the Ravensmead and surrounding communities for healthcare.'

Operations Manager Ms. Izanne van Heerden expressed enthusiasm for her team and urged local residents to take pride in the new infrastructure. She said: 'This is more than just a new building; it is a place where our community can receive necessary care and support in a comfortable setting. We ask our community to make this facility their own, care for it, and work with us as we settle in.'

Community welcomes new medical center

Community leader and Health Committee Chairperson Don Marcus supported these optimistic sentiments, calling the facility a symbol of unity and progress. Marcus emphasized that 'this new facility gives us reason to hope for the future. It reminds us that when people unite with a common goal, positive change is possible,' adding that the Public Health Forum will continue to advocate for quality and responsive care.

Scientists from the Faculty of Public Health (FSP) at USP released an article detailing the effectiveness of pediatric vaccines against COVID-19. The findings indicate that administering three doses of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine in children aged between 6 months and 4 years is linked to a 97% decrease in rates of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) related to sars-cov-2.

The study observed that a lower number of doses did not provide consistent benefits, as the effects are notably altered by age group. This research underscores the importance of maintaining vaccination in this population group to prevent severe forms of the disease.

USP JOURNAL

The analyses were conducted across 24 Brazilian municipalities that presented the highest volume of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, during the period between July 2022 and December 2024. The studied cohort included 2,093,745 individuals aged 6 months to 4 years, representing 18% of the entire Brazilian pediatric population, according to data from the 2022 Census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

This represents the first study to investigate the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine specifically in children. Although previous research has confirmed the safety and efficacy of these immunizers, available evidence for children under five years old was scarce, especially in the context of the Omicron variant.

In Brazil, despite the first dose of the immunizer being administered in January 2021, childhood vaccination only began in 2022 because these children were not classified as high-risk groups. However, with the increase in population immunity, severe cases and deaths began to concentrate disproportionately in vulnerable populations or those with incomplete vaccination schedules, increasing the vulnerability of those under five years old.

Isaac Negretto Schrarstzhaupt, a data scientist and researcher at FSP and the article's first author, stated that the study provides crucial information about vaccine functionality and the need for high vaccination coverage to reduce severe cases, especially in this polarized moment.

Initially, the National Immunization Program (PNI) of the Ministry of Health suggested the CoronaVac vaccine for children aged 3 years and older, but the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was later adopted for the 6-month to 4-year-old group. Currently, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines against sars-cov-2 are part of the PNI calendar.

To conduct the investigation, the authors used hospitalization data obtained from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (Sivep-Gripe), which is the mandatory record of hospitalized SARS cases for any reason. Additionally, they analyzed official records from the COVID-19 vaccination campaign of the National Health Data Network (RNDS), the mandatory national repository for all vaccination records in Brazil, including COVID-19. 2022 Census data was used to estimate the total number of children aged 6 months to 4 years residing in the analyzed municipalities.

The scientists segmented the analyses into two main groups. In the first, they compared children vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNtech against groups of unvaccinated children. In the second, they compared children vaccinated with CoronaVac against those who were unvaccinated.

The total cohort amounted to 37,687,410 child-months monitored. During this period, 1,384 hospitalizations for SARS attributed to COVID-19 were recorded, corresponding to an overall incidence of 3.67 cases per 100 thousand person-months, including 27 related deaths.

The data confirms that the complete three-dose regimen of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine generated a sharp reduction in the rate of SARS in children aged 6 months to 4 years. However, a regimen with fewer doses did not show consistent benefits, and the effects were significantly influenced by age.

Within the same group, the unvaccinated category represented the largest portion of the follow-up time (28 million person-months), accounting for 85% of hospitalizations (1,175) and 23 of the 27 deaths. There were no recorded deaths in children who completed the primary regimen (three doses). Of the four deaths among vaccinated children, two belonged to the one-dose group and two to the two-dose group of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.

Regarding CoronaVac (Sinovac), the two-dose regimen in patients aged 3 to 4 years did not show a significant reduction in SARS. Although 92% of children who completed the primary series were 4 years old, the decrease in SARS risk for this age group was small and did not reach statistical significance. No deaths were recorded in any of the groups vaccinated with this vaccine. The coverage of a third vaccine dose was insufficient to assess its link to SARS risk.

Fredi Diaz-Quijano, the study's advisor, clarified that these results do not discredit CoronaVac, recognizing its initial importance during the pandemic when it proved its efficacy in other age groups. He added that, being an inactivated virus vaccine, it requires continuous review and reevaluation in light of time or the emergence of new variants.

It is relevant to note that the flu vaccine is reformulated annually due to mutations in the influenza virus. Global scientists monitor circulating strains to develop vaccines aligned with the current virus.

A weakness pointed out by the authors is the natural immunity acquired by the population after widespread viral circulation. Data from the Epicovid 2.0 study indicate that 28% of people have had at least one SARS-CoV-2 infection between March and June 2024. The researchers warn that immunity obtained through infection in unvaccinated children may have reduced the contrast in incidence rates and weakened the estimated effectiveness of certain vaccination regimens.

For the first author, the study offers important support for decision-makers to create public policies focused on COVID-19. He emphasizes the need to vaccinate children and protect them in the same way as the elderly and pregnant women, groups where vaccination coverage is considerably higher.

Fredi Diaz-Quijano concludes by emphasizing that the research demonstrates the benefits of an accessible intervention promoted by institutions. According to him, this type of work strengthens confidence in vaccines and demonstrates academia's effort to keep information updated so that the population is aware of efforts to improve health, especially that of children.