Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) granted permanent approval for the coronavirus vaccine developed by British-Swedish lab AstraZeneca, in partnership with the University of Oxford. It becomes just the second immunizer to clear all regulatory hurdles in the country, after the Pfizer vaccine.
After undermining the benefits of vaccines for months, the Jair Bolsonaro administration has recently pivoted to championing inoculations amid mounting pressure from economic sectors and public opinion.
Anvisa’s decision comes as some European countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, until the European Union’s medicines regulator can investigate whether the shot is linked to reports of blood clots.
Anvisa also approved the use of antiviral drug Remdesivir for treating Covid-19. The intravenous medicine, which prevents viral replication, will be used in hospitalized patients to mitigate symptoms. Though it is currently being used in the U.S., the World Health Organization does not recommend the drug as an effective coronavirus treatment.
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