Brazil facing vaccine delays despite history of immunization success

Though Brazil vaccinated its first citizens against the coronavirus on Sunday, the country has a long way to go before fully implementing a nationwide immunization campaign. This, despite the fact that Brazil has traditionally been a leading example around the world in how to vaccination efficiency.

In several countries, including the U.S., health officials have run into problems regarding how to distribute, store, and administer vaccines at the desired pace. Meanwhile, Brazil already has 38,000 vaccination clinics — which can reach 50,000 during campaigns — and a network of professionals capable of inoculating the population en masse. All that’s missing is the vaccine itself.

There are numerous reasons for Brazil’s delays, from the inactivity of the Health Ministry — which dithered over purchasing needles and syringes — to the politicization of the vaccine race, pitting far-right President Bolsonaro against his right-wing rival, São Paulo Governor João Doria. 

There is another aggravating factor: a December opinion poll from the Datafolha Institute indicated that 22 percent of respondents do not intend on taking a Covid-19 vaccine. In August, this rate stood at just 9 percent, showing how much the anti-vaccine movement has progressed in Brazil, with the unwavering support of President Bolsonaro, his politician sons, and their most radical supporters. 

Victims of their own success

According to former Health Minister Nelson Teich — fired by Mr. Bolsonaro in May after disagreeing with the president over his coronavirus-skeptic stance — the increased distrust of vaccines is precisely a result of the country’s immunization successes in the past. Thanks to efficient and comprehensive vaccination campaigns, several diseases were practically eradicated in Brazil, creating...