Covax Facility Vaccine Will Cost Brazilian National Health System US$21 per Person

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Thursday, October 8th, the Ministry of Health disclosed details of the agreement it signed with the global alliance of countries to access a vaccine against Covid-19. The two doses required to ensure immunity will cost US$21 – approximately R$115 – as calculated by the government and will be financed by the Unified Health System (SUS).

Last week, the federal government issued a provisional measure to release approximately R$2.5 billion for the country to join the Covax Facility, a global consortium of governments and producers organized by the World Health Organization to boost the development of vaccines against the coronavirus.

Membership allows the portfolio to access nine vaccines under development, as well as others under consideration. Through the alliance, the federal government has reserved 40 million doses able to immunize 20 million people, which represents ten percent of the Brazilian population.

To reach the figure, the Ministry of Health considered three risk groups: people over 80 years of age, healthcare workers, and others with pre-existing diseases. But the decision of who will be immunized first still hinges on the approval of a Technical Council which will define the criteria. Vaccination is expected to begin in the first quarter in 2021.

“As the vaccine will still undergo a validation process, there may be a delay,” said Élcio Franco, the Ministry of Health’s executive secretary at a press conference on Thursday. He said the schedule also depends on registration with the National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA).

Digital vaccination card

The Ministry of Health is developing a virtual platform to streamline and organize the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine. Registrations will be made using people’s CPF (Individual Taxpayer Registry) number. The goal is to ensure that citizens are immunized only once, should a local government also provide another vaccine, for instance.

São Paulo and Paraná develop other vaccines

In addition to the federal government, states are also developing vaccines against the coronavirus. One of the most advanced is the vaccine developed by the Chinese laboratory Sinovac in partnership with the Butantan Institute, a part of São Paulo state government.

According to the São Paulo plan, vaccination should start on December 15th with healthcare professionals. After that, educators and people with chronic diseases will be immunized.

The government of Paraná has an agreement to develop a vaccine in partnership with the Russian Gamaleya institute. The vaccine is expected to start being administered to the population in the first months of 2021.

Source: Exame

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