Coronavirus: Brazil plans to vaccinate entire population against Covid-19 in 2021
- Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello’s statement comes amid criticism that the federal government is unprepared for a mass immunisation campaign
- Brazil has the world’s second-deadliest outbreak after the US, with more than 178,000 deaths
The bold statement comes amid criticism from state governors that Brazil’s federal government is unprepared for a mass immunisation campaign and had failed to secure a diverse enough supply of vaccines.
In a radio interview, Pazuello repeated the ministry would buy any effective vaccines that are approved by health regulator Anvisa and reasonably priced.
The continent-sized country, with a population of 212 million, has registered 6.7 million confirmed cases.
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First doses of China’s CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine land in Brazil
In the last few days, the government has given multiple different time frames for when vaccinations could begin. Originally slated for March, Pazuello then said the campaign could begin in January or February. Later, he said some vaccinations could even be administered later this month.
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The federal government is under pressure from the governor of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous and wealthiest state. Governor Joao Doria has secured his state’s own access to the vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac and has vowed to begin inoculations by January 25, with or without federal government help.
Meanwhile, the federal government has signed a letter of intent to buy 70 million doses from Pfizer as well as around 100 million doses from AstraZeneca. All still require approval by Brazil’s regulator.
In total, the government said it has lined up 300 million doses via agreements with several manufacturers.
