China reduces volume of Coronavac API to be shipped to Brazil – Butantan

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – China has reduced the volume of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for CoronaVac production to be shipped to Brazil from 4,000 to 3,000 liters, said the Butantan Institute on May 18.

With the reduction in the API shipment, the Butantan Institute will be capable of producing 5 million vaccine doses, said the institute.

The previous day, São Paulo governor João Doria (PSDB) had announced that Butantan on May 26 would receive a 4,000 liter batch of CoronaVac raw materials, enough for 7 million doses.

Butantan, linked to the government of São Paulo, stated that the API was ready and available in China, depending only on the Chinese government to approve the shipment.

Butantan and Doria claim that Bolsonaro’s recent attacks on China have directly interfered with the schedule for the Chinese to release new supply batches. On Monday, Doria reiterated that the delay was due to a “political and diplomatic issue,” but expressed confidence that it would be released soon.

In testimony to the Senate Covid CPI (investigative committee) on Tuesday, ex-foreign minister Ernesto Araújo denied that the Bolsonaro government’s friction with China has hindered the shipment of vaccine supplies to Brazil.

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