This week, we talk about the continuing hurdles preventing a vaccine from reaching Brazilians. And the question marks around the upcoming election in Congress.
Brazil’s vaccines hit regulatory hurdles
On Friday, federal health regulatory agency Anvisa received requests for the emergency approval of two coronavirus vaccines: one developed by AstraZeneca (the federal government’s main bet) and the Chinese-made CoronaVac. Over the weekend, the agency said AstraZeneca had filed all necessary documents, while demanding more information from the São Paulo-based Butantan Biological Institute, responsible for CoronaVac trials in Brazil.
- The move once again sparked concerns that Anvisa could be suffering from political interference. Brazil’s vaccine race has become an electoral dispute, with President Jair Bolsonaro and São Paulo Governor João Doria each trying to use the pandemic to boost their electoral capital.
- On multiple occasions, Mr. Bolsonaro has bashed the Chinese-made CoronaVac, which has been developed with the support of Mr. Doria’s state government. The president claimed that his administration would neither purchase nor distribute “[Mr.] Doria’s vaccine.”
- However, last week, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello announced that the government would purchase 46 million shots of CoronaVac, with an option to buy an extra 56 million doses.
Reaction. Jean Gorinchteyn, São Paulo’s...