RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil runs the risk of being left at the end of the line to receive the Covid-19 vaccine due to an international initiative to expedite the production of a vaccine against the virus. The country was not invited to launch the “Global Collaboration to Expedite Development, Production and Equitable Access to Diagnostics, Treatment, and Vaccine against Covid-19” in late April.
There is speculation that Brazil has been excluded because of Jair Bolsonaro’s constant attacks on the World Health Organization and on leaders of countries such as France and Germany, organizers of the initiative that includes nations, international organizations, foundations, and private companies.
However, the opportunity to join remains open, according to the initiative.
Now, science and technology sectors in Brazil are mobilizing to persuade the government to join the global initiative, primarily because, despite the initiative’s discourse on equitable access, the risk is that the country, if it remains out of the “Act Accelerator”, will not be prioritized to receive the vaccine, will not be able to influence the price issue and face substandard conditions.
Moreover, by joining the global initiative, Brazil also opens an opportunity for Fiocruz and Brazilian industry to undertake some part of the production process. It will require such a tremendous quantity of vaccines that many plants around the world will be needed to produce them.