Governor Doria Says Covid-19 Vaccine, If Approved, Will Be Compulsory in São Paulo

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – São Paulo Governor João Doria said on Friday, October 16th, that the Covid-19 vaccine will be mandatory throughout the state if approved by the National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA). Doria had been repeating in recent weeks that he thought it was appropriate to make it obligatory, but had not yet announced the measure. According to the governor, only individuals with a medical certificate will be exempt from immunization.

Doria also attacked President Jair Bolsonaro once again, accusing him of “politicizing” the vaccine. The attacks come in the face of the threatened agreement between the São Paulo government and the Ministry of Health to allow CoronaVac, the vaccine developed and tested by the Butantan Institute in partnership with the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, to be distributed in other states by the SUS (National Health System). According to Doria, this will be decided in a meeting next Wednesday, October 21st.

The São Paulo government’s idea is to have the CoronaVac approved by ANVISA in time to begin the vaccination of healthcare professionals as early as December in the state. The trials should be finalized this weekend and the results will be delivered to the agency on Monday.

“It will be mandatory in São Paulo, except for those with medical guidance and attestation that they can not take it. And we will adopt legal measures if there is any opposition in this respect,” said Doria during a press conference at the Bandeirantes Palace in São Paulo.

The governor is still hopeful that the Butantan vaccine will be distributed nationally. To this end, Doria will attend a decisive meeting next week in Brasília with Minister of Health Eduardo Pazuello. The governor also promises to meet with the ANVISA director Antônio Barra on the same day.

“São Paulo intends to share the Butantan vaccine so that other states may vaccinate their population. São Paulo will. I have already guaranteed that the 45 million Brazilians in São Paulo will be vaccinated”, said Doria, recalling the 46 million CoronaVac doses pledged by December.

Should an agreement with the federal government fail, the São Paulo government has already stated that it will discuss directly with other states to supply them with the Butantan vaccine.

Positive expectation

A summary of the CoronaVac trial reports in Brazil will be forwarded to ANVISA on Monday, October 19th, but Doria said that the agency now has all the required data, since these are monitored daily.

“So far, with no side effects – i.e. the positive trials of the CoronaVac, the Butantan vaccine with the Sinovac laboratory,” said the governor.

The trials in Brazil are in their final stage of the phase 3 clinical studies. According to the executive coordinator of the Covid-19 Contingency Center in São Paulo, João Gabbardo, the first two trial phases proved the vaccine to be 98 percent effective, while the Ministry of Health speaks of a figure over 50 percent needed to obtain ANVISA approval.

Gabbardo said he believes that the CoronaVac meets all the requirements listed by the Ministry of Health to be incorporated into the PNI (National Immunization Program).

Source: UOL