Brazil’s Health Minister announces delivery of 1.5 million Janssen vaccine doses to Brazil on Tuesday

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga on Monday, June 21, announced that 1.5 million doses of the Janssen vaccine will arrive in Brazil on Tuesday morning, June 22.

The statement was made during a public hearing at the Senate’s Covid-19 Temporary Committee. According to Queiroga, this shipment is part of the anticipated doses negotiated with Janssen – 3 million doses were expected to be sent, but this did not materialize.

“With respect to the Janssen vaccine, these vaccines were planned in our calendar for the last quarter of the year. It was 38 million doses. Initially, we negotiated with Janssen and they were going to advance 3 million doses to us last week. Unfortunately, it was impossible for these 3 million doses to be delivered,” Queiroga said.

According to the Ministry of Health’s executive secretary Rodrigo Cruz, the portfolio is still negotiating the delivery of additional doses.

“Concerning this amount the Minister mentioned, of 1.5 million doses, we are trying to get confirmation this week for additional vaccine doses, which will then be part of the PNI (National Immunization Program),” he said.

Rodrigo Cruz also reported that by the end of this month, Brazil may be delivered an additional 1 million CoronaVac doses produced in China. This batch would be supplied together with the active pharmaceutical ingredient expected next Thursday, June 24, for the production of doses at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo.

“So, yes, there will be 1 million additional doses of the CoronaVac immunizer, which will come ready to administer, in the syringe. We are in the final stages of these negotiations,” Cruz said.

First dose for everyone by September

In addition to the Janssen vaccine, on Monday Queiroga also disclosed the delivery schedule for all immunizers in the coming months.

He said in July another 40 million vaccines will reach the country, and 60 million each month are expected for August and September. Consequently, the Minister estimates that another 160 million doses will be expected by September.

The Minister said that this amount will ensure that the entire eligible population – that is, people over 18 years of age – will be vaccinated with the first dose by September this year. He reiterated that the Brazilian adult population will be vaccinated with the two doses by December.

Deferred shipment

The Ministry of Health was expecting a batch of 3 million doses by last week. However, on Friday Marcelo Queiroga reported that the shipment would not arrive and pointed to “regulatory issues” in the United States as the reason for the delay.

In total, the Brazilian government purchased 38 million doses of the single-dose Janssen vaccine.

In March, when the contract was announced, 16.9 million doses were expected to be delivered in the third quarter and another 21.1 million doses in the fourth quarter of 2021. Janssen’s contract also stipulates a value of US$10 per dose, and a US$95 million payment in a first installment.

Extended expiration date

The arrival of the Janssen doses impacts vaccination strategies nationwide, as the batches will expire in August.

The validity initially considered by the federal government ended June 27. However, a technical evaluation by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) found that the immunizers can be used until August 8, provided they are stored at a temperature between 2° and 8°C.

The U.S. health regulator (FDA) had also extended the validity of Janssen’s doses, from three to four and a half months.

As it is a single-dose vaccine, one dose of the Janssen immunizer is equivalent to two doses of the other vaccines currently in use in Brazil (Pfizer, CoronaVac and AstraZeneca).

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