Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro says daughter, 11, will not get coronavirus jab
- The president is staying firm on his anti-vaccine stance, despite the country having approved a vaccination campaign for five- to 11-year-olds
- More than 300 children in that age range have died of Covid-19 in Brazil, but Bolsonaro says this does not ‘justify’ the vaccination push
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will not vaccinate his 11-year-old daughter against Covid-19, he said on Monday, maintaining the firm anti-vaccine stance that has drawn criticism from public health experts and hit his poll numbers.
The right-wing leader added that the nation’s health minister, Marcelo Queiroga, will divulge on January 5 the manner in which Brazil will carry out its coronavirus vaccination campaign for five- to 11-year-olds, which was approved earlier this month.
“Children have not been dying in a way that justifies a vaccine for children,” he told reporters in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
Vaccination of children has been a hot topic in Brazil, where Bolsonaro’s core supporters have fervently opposed the measure, even as the vast majority of the population supports vaccines.
In October, national health regulator Anvisa said its workers had received death threats regarding the issue.