RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After putting off negotiations with Pfizer last year, the Ministry of Health on Wednesday, June 16, announced the advance shipment of 7 million doses of the U.S. laboratory’s Covid-19 vaccine, thereby increasing the expected supply of this immunizer to Brazil to 15 million doses next month.
Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga issued a statement about the advance delivery of doses, saying that “the initial forecast was that 8 million doses would be delivered in July. After talks with the pharmaceutical company, Brazil will receive 15 million doses next month.”
The Health Ministry added that “by the end of the year, 200 million Pfizer doses will land in Brazil to boost our vaccination campaign against Covid-19.”
The government is trying to expedite the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines during the Senate Covid CPI investigations that question the country’s delay in procuring immunizers and the high number of deaths and cases of the disease.
Pfizer was one of the laboratories that had agreements for the purchase of vaccines deferred by the Ministry of Health last year, at a time when the federal government was not prioritizing the search for immunizers, according to CPI testimony and documents.
In a note, the pharmaceutical company confirms the Brazilian government’s information and states that the deliveries are part of the doses initially scheduled for the third quarter of this year.
Source: Exame