Brazil accelerated plans to vaccinate its population against the coronavirus after an early start by the state of Sao Paulo added pressure on President Jair Bolsonaro to move faster to stem an incipient loss of popularity.
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
FILE PHOTO: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, November 26, 2020. REUTERS/Adriano Machado
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he was right to criticize the credibility of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech that posted disappointing efficacy results in local trials.
On Tuesday, researchers in Sao Paulo state announced that the Chinese vaccine was 50.4% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in a local trial - barely enough for regulatory approval and well below the rate announced last week.
Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, is a longstanding China hawk. He has repeatedly criticized the Sinovac shot, which was being late-stage tested by Sao Paulo’s Butantan Institute, as untrustworthy. He previously said his government would not buy the Chinese vaccine but later relented as criticism of Brazil’s vaccine
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he was right to criticize the credibility of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech that posted disappointing efficacy results in local trials.
On Tuesday, researchers in Sao Paulo state announced that the Chinese vaccine was 50.4% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in a local trial - barely enough for regulatory approval and well below the rate announced last week.