Today, how Congress is trying to expand vaccine purchasing rights. The continuing crisis at Petrobras. And how Brazil is postponing its fiscal reckoning.
Congress making vaccine purchases easier
Both congressional chambers passed legislation on Tuesday to facilitate vaccine purchases in Brazil. Senators unanimously voted to allow the government to buy doses without the need to follow strict public bidding rules or obtain prior clearance from health regulators. The House, meanwhile, passed a bill authorizing private companies to buy vaccines, providing that they donate half of their purchase to the federal healthcare system and distribute the other half free of charge.
Why it matters. The federal government is failing in its attempts to hold a nationwide vaccination campaign. By bringing private players into the fold, lawmakers hope to speed up rollouts and allow companies to resume normal activities (or something approaching that) in less time.
- In 45 days, Brazil has immunized 7.1 million people — an average of 158,000 a day. However, the country’s healthcare system is capable of rolling out roughly 1 million vaccine jabs per day.
Yes, but … Private vaccine rollouts could exacerbate wealth gaps and discrimination in Brazil, as access to privately-purchased jabs is likely to be...