Brazil Health Minister Announces Purchase of CoronaVac; Bolsonaro Quashes Deal
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Following an online meeting with governors yesterday afternoon, October 20th, Minister of Health Eduardo Pazuello signed a letter of intent to purchase 46 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine, which is being developed by Sinovac Chinese pharmaceutical company in partnership with the São Paulo-owned Butantan Institute.
According to the Ministry of Health, this initiative is one more step in the strategy of increasing the vaccine’s supply to Brazilians. The Ministry already had an agreement with AstraZeneca/Oxford that provided 100 million doses of the vaccine, and another agreement with the Covax initiative of the World Health Organization for an additional 40 million doses.
Combined, the three vaccines – AstraZeneca, Covax, and Butantan-Sinovac – amount to 186 million doses, to be made available in the first semester of 2021.
According to the Minister, the doses will be distributed nationwide through the National Immunization Program (PNI). “We have the expertise of all processes involving this logistic, achieved over the PNI’s 47 years. The vaccines will reach Brazilians in all states,” said Pazuello.
A new provisional measure will be needed to release a budget credit of R$1.9 billion for the CoronaVac purchase letter of intent. The Ministry of Health had also announced the investment of R$80 million to increase Butantan’s structure – which will contribute to the production of the vaccine.
According to the Ministry, the purchasing process will occur after the vaccine is approved and has been registered by the National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA).
In addition to these initial doses, as of April the Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation) should begin its own production of the AstraZeneca vaccine and provide the country with up to 165 million doses during the second half of 2021. The Butantan Institute’s agreement with Sinovac also provides for technology transfer and, as a result, the Butantan should start to produce 100 million doses per year in its new plant.
The Ministry of Health expects that vaccination may begin in January next year. But it warns that this will hinge on the results of the vaccines’ Phase 3 trial, which is testing efficacy, and on the ANVISA clearance.
According to the Ministry, the first group to be immunized will be healthcare professionals and people in the risk group for Covid-19 (the disease caused by the novel coronavirus). Vaccination will not be mandatory, the body states.
The CoronaVac is now in Phase 3 of human trials. In all, the CoronaVac trials – which began in July in Brazil – will be conducted on 13 thousand volunteers.
In case the last stage of trials proves the vaccine’s efficacy, i. e. it proves it can effectively protect against the novel coronavirus, the agreement between Sinovac and Butantan provides for technology transfer to produce the vaccine in Brazil. The CoronaVac is administered in two doses per person.
On Monday, October 19th, the Butantan Institute director Dimas Covas announced that the CoronaVac is a safe vaccine, which means that it presents no serious side effects. He also stated that the efficacy results have not yet been completed, but that he hopes this will be possible by December this year.
Urgent:
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said on Facebook on Wednesday that his government will not buy China’s Sinovac vaccine, , October21st, after the health minister said on Tuesday that it would be included in the nation’s immunization program.
“It (the Sinovac vaccine) won’t be bought,” Bolsonaro said responding to a supporter who urged him not to buy the vaccine. The president said the issue would be clarified on Wednesday.
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