RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The Brazilian authorities unveiled its long-awaited nationwide vaccination plan in opposition to COVID-19 on Saturday with an preliminary objective of vaccinating 51 million individuals, or about one-fourth of the inhabitants, within the first half of 2021.
In a doc despatched to the Supreme Courtroom, which had given the federal government a deadline to attract up the plan, the Well being Ministry stated 108 million doses will probably be obtainable for precedence vaccination of weak teams that embody well being employees, aged individuals and indigenous communities.
The plan says 70% of the inhabitants – or about 148 million of Brazil’s 212 million individuals – should be immunized to cease the virus spreading. The present plan covers nearly one third of that objective.
The plan, which says every particular person will want two doses, doesn’t point out a beginning date for vaccination of the inhabitants nor does it element the provides of vaccines that it’s going to want.
Brazil is within the midst of the world’s second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak after america, with greater than 180,000 deaths.
On Thursday, Well being Minister Eduardo Pazuello pledged to vaccinate Brazil’s total inhabitants in opposition to COVID-19 subsequent 12 months.
The federal government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has been below stress from state governors and metropolis mayors for failing to arrange in time for mass immunization or safe a various sufficient provide of vaccines.
Brazil reported 43,900 extra confirmed coronavirus circumstances prior to now 24 hours and 686 fatalities from COVID-19, bringing whole circumstances to six,880,127 and the loss of life toll to 181,123, the ministry stated on Saturday.
Though Brazil has an enviable document for nationwide vaccination campaigns and a powerful public well being system, Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the gravity of the virus and is a vaccine skeptic who has stated he is not going to take a COVID-19 shot.
He has additionally stated his authorities is not going to purchase the vaccine made by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd that may seemingly be the primary to finish late stage trials in Brazil. AstraZeneca, Pfizer Inc, and Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen even have vaccines in Part three trials in Brazil.
Bolsonaro’s authorities is planning to put aside 20 billion reais ($four billion) from its price range to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.
A ballot by DataFolha printed on Saturday confirmed {that a} rising variety of Brazilians – 22% – say they’re unwilling to take any COVID-19 vaccine, and most stated they might not settle for one made by China, as Bolsonaro’s feedback stoke skepticism.
Reporting by Sabrina Valle and Nayara Figueiredo; Modifying by Nick Zieminski
