São Paulo State to Vaccinate All Adults in Small Town to Check Efficiency of Mass Vaccination

RIODE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The S project, kept secret until now, will be put into practice by the Butantan Institute and the São Paulo state government.

As of February 17th, the state government will begin mass vaccination in Serrana, a municipality which is part of the Ribeirão Preto metropolitan region, some 300 kilometers north of the capital.

Some 30,000 people will be immunized, representing the municipality’s entire adult population. In total, Serrana has just over 43,000 inhabitants.

The announcement will be made by São Paulo State governor João Doria next week, but CNN had access to a live stream from the Butantan Institute on Saturday, February 6th. “This is a study of efficiency rather than efficacy,” explained Butantan Institute president Dimas Covas.

The Butantan Institute fully funds the study, which will be conducted with leftover doses from previous tests. Only Serrana residents are allowed to be vaccinated.

Studies conducted so far have confirmed the vaccine’s efficacy in protecting people who have been immunized compared to those who have not.

Now the effect of the vaccine on the pandemic will be verified, such as new cases, deaths, ICU bed occupancy, etc. In ordinary studies, these results would only be achieved once a region completes the mass vaccination of its population.

Serrana was chosen because the city is small, but has a high circulation of people, which helps the virus to circulate. Moreover, the city has seen 5% of its population infected by Covid-19, one of the highest rates of the disease in the state.

During the live stream, Covas conceded that he has a personal relationship with the city, as his wife is a native of Serrana, although he emphasizes that this was not the reason for choosing the city.

Serrana will be split into four areas, whose population will be vaccinated on different dates to compare the effects of the Coronavac in the regions. The first dose will be administered starting February 17th and will run until March 10th. Then, the second dose will be administered.

Source: CNN Brasil