- Brazilian President rejects claims regarding the purchase of 46 mn. doses of Covid vaccine developed by a Chinese company
- Bolsnaro affirmed that any vaccine that was not proved scientifically would not be obtained.
- Critics suggest the political motives behind the decision as the vaccine was endorsed by Bolsnaro’s adversary Doria.
THD NewsDesk, Sao Paulo: On October 22, Brazilian President Bolsonaro snubbed reports regarding the deal of a potential Covid vaccine developed by a Chinese pharma company Sinovac. Asserting that the vaccine has not yet cleared its trial, Bolsnaro declared on social media, “My decision is not to purchase such a vaccine.”
The potential is currently undergoing trials in the state-run Butantan Institute in which the state of the President’s adversary, Doria, is reported to have been participating. The discouraging remarks of Bolsonaro dubbing the vaccine as Doria’s has forced commentators to speculate political reasons behind the denouncement.
“THE CHINESE VACCINE OF JOAO DORIA,” said the social media handle of Bolsonaro.
″For my government, any vaccine, before it is made available to the population, must be PROVEN SCIENTIFICALLY.″
Also known for his contempt for China, many critics doubted the reasons cited by Bolsonaro not being in good faith. Rejecting the claims of Edward Pauzello, he called China ‘heartless’, the country which is ironically Brazil’s most significant business partner.
“Brazil’s vaccine.”
On the other hand, Health Minister Pazuello, who had reportedly announced the purchase in a meeting with the government, said, “Butantan’s vaccine will be Brazil’s vaccine.” The deal of 46 million vaccine shots was valued at an estimated 2 billion reais ($360 million)
Addressing the conflict in statements, Antonio Elcio Franco said that although the vaccine would be based on Sinovac’s research, the “Brazilian” vaccine would only be developed in Sao Paulo’s Butantan Institute. “There is no intention to buy vaccines from China,” said Franco.
Adding to the complication, the Sau Paulo government released documents issued by the National Health Ministry that confirmed the existence of a deal. Doses of the “Butantan Vaccine-Sinovac/Covid-19” were priced at $10.30 each. The document exposed the purchase approved by the health regulator, to which Bolsonaro said the protocol would be canceled.
The politics at play
In the backdrop of Brazil’s general elections in 2022 that could mark the second tenure of Bolsonaro, political rivalries are playing a crucial role in shaping public policies. Claudio Couto, a political science professor at Getulio Vargas Foundation, points out the hostile relationship between Bolsonaro and Doria being the reason behind the President’s condemnation of the deal. Involved in altercations from the beginning, the politicians had been giving contrary opinions on every issue.
While the governor recommended people to stay at home and follow precautions suggested by public health experts, the President contended that halting economic activities would result in more deaths than the pandemic.
“It isn’t an ideology, it isn’t politics, and it isn’t the electoral process that saves. It is the vaccine,” Doria remarked.
During a brief news conference in the Sao Paulo countryside, Bolsonaro shot back at Doria, accusing the governor of playing politics by hurrying out a vaccine to buoy his popularity.
Flavio Dino, governor of Maranhao state and yet another adversary of the President, pledged to protest against the Bolsonaro government if the vaccine is not approved. He proclaimed, “Governors will go to Congress and to courts to ensure that the population has access to all vaccines that are efficient and safe. Health is a bigger asset than ideological or electoral disputes.”
Bolsonaro had also encountered criticism earlier for endorsing hydroxychloroquine even though later studies showed that the drug was ineffective against the coronavirus. Moreover, experts have noticed an ongoing trend among nations of hoarding potential COVID vaccines if they are proven successful in combating the virus. The purchase is non-refundable if the vaccine fails. Brazil’s government had also entered into such a deal with Oxford University and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca to avail 100 million shots of its potential vaccine.
Before Bolsonaro was elected the President, the country could boast of a robust public health care system that played a primary role in ceasing the spread of measles and yellow fever. Brazil’s health system is now struggling to function earlier, provided for a series of immunization programs.
The South American country Brazil now stands at the second rank for having the highest number of confirmed Covid-related deaths after the U.S. So far, Brazil has reported 153200 fatalities and 5.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases infections.
The South American country Brazil now stands at the second rank for having the highest number of confirmed Covid-related deaths after the U.S. So far, Brazil has reported 153200 fatalities and 5.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases infections.
