Coronavirus: Brazil plans to vaccinate entire population against Covid-19 in 2021

Name: First doses of China’s CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine land in Brazil
Uploaded: 2020-12-10T14:44:11.000Z
Duration: 1 min 36 s
Description: First doses of China’s CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine land in Brazil

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

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Reuters

Published: 10:44pm, 10 Dec 2020Updated: 5:09am, 11 Dec 2020

Amid a worsening second wave of coronavirus infections and mounting domestic pressure, Brazil’s Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello pledged on Thursday to vaccinate the country’s entire population against Covid-19 in 2021.

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.

Brazil has the world’s second-deadliest outbreak of the novel coronavirus after the US, with more than 178,000 deaths.

The continent-sized country, with a population of 212 million, has registered 6.7 million confirmed cases.

01:36

First doses of China’s CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine land in Brazil

Although Brazil has an enviable record for national vaccination campaigns and a public health system well set up for the challenge, President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the gravity of the virus and is a vaccine sceptic. He has said he will not take a Covid-19 shot.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x