The Brazilian Senate’s Human Rights Committee began the week by subpoenaing Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga and Human Rights Minister Damares Alves to explain their actions to undermine the country’s vaccination effort.
In Mr. Queiroga’s case, on January 21 his department published a technical note questioning the efficacy of Covid vaccines and touting unproven treatments. Ms. Damares, on the other hand, set up a government-run hotline to deal with cases of discrimination against people protesting the enforcement of vaccine mandates by private establishments.
The Human Rights Minister also spread misinformation about Covid vaccination for children, citing “possible side effects” to discourage parents from taking their kids to take their shots.
