Coronavirus

Fiocruz resumes AstraZeneca deliveries after two-week pause

Fiocruz AstraZeneca deliveries
AstraZeneca delivery in Pernambuco. Photo: Miva Filho/SES-PE

Federal biological institute Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) delivered another 1.7 million shots of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on September 14, following a two-week halt due to lack of inputs purchased from China. 

The delay in production caused vaccine shortages in nine states, which led São Paulo to give out Pfizer jabs as second doses to citizens who had originally taken AstraZeneca.

The imbroglio made it to the Supreme Court, as the state government accused the Health Ministry of sending fewer jabs than São Paulo was entitled to, in yet another clash between the federal government and the local administration. The court has decided in favor of São Paulo.  

With today’s delivery, Fiocruz has now supplied 93.6 million jabs to the national Covid-19 vaccination program.