On Sunday, Brazilian health regulator Anvisa approved emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd and Britain’s AstraZeneca, clearing the way for immunizations as the pandemic enters a deadly second wave. Notably, Ukraine is also planning on buying the Sinovac vaccine, as was reported by Reuters.
The Anvisa’s board voted unanimously to approve both vaccines. Officially, the decision has not yet been published in the governmental newspaper, yet the mass immunization shall start right after its publication in Brazil.
Despite the fact that the effectiveness of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine proved 50% in testing, it was approved for use in Brazil. Its acquisition and distribution to the population have already been agreed upon by the local Ministry of Health. In fact, President Jair Bolsonaro, a coronavirus skeptic who has refused to take a vaccine, is under growing pressure to start inoculations in Brazil, which has lost more than 200,000 to COVID-19 – the worst death toll outside the United States.
Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello told the journalists that the rush to start vaccination was an illegal “marketing ploy”, and the government would start distributing the vaccines starting Monday, with the nationwide immunization plan beginning on Wednesday. Brazil could eventually vaccinate 1 million people a day, he said.
It is worth noting that five million doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine were ordered by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine but in the terms of delivery the possibility of purchasing the drug if its effectiveness is at least 70% indicated.