Bills provide for imprisonment for those who doubt vaccines in Brazil

Six bills in the Brazilian Congress criminalize everything from cutting in line to receive a vaccine to people who spread “fake news” about how vaccines work.

Authored by Senator Angelo Coronel (PSD), PL 5555/2020 foresees the inclusion in the Criminal Code of imprisonment for one to three years for people who omit or oppose the mandatory vaccination of children or adolescents in a “public health emergency”.

The project also criminalizes, with a penalty of two to eight years in prison, people who refuse to take the mandatory doses of vaccines.

The same punishment also applies to those who spread “false news” about the vaccines or how they work.

If the individual is a public employee, the penalty is doubled.

The PL had its procedures updated in December 2022. At the time, it went through the Legislative Secretariat of the Federal Senate and had its continuity confirmed.

The proposal was discussed again on social networks this month when the Senate website conducted a poll about the bill.

The proposal was rejected by 92% of the people who answered the questions.

In April 2021, the senator requested that his proposal be dealt with as PL 25/2021 by congressman Fernando Rodolfo.

Rodolfo’s proposal criminalizes cutting in line during vaccination with a penalty of two to five years and a fine.

In addition, the deputy frames the detour of medical supplies as a crime, with five to 15 years in prison. The offense is aggravated if committed by a public employee.

Angelo Coronel’s request was granted, and both proposals are being processed together.

In May of last year, four other bills were joined to the proceedings: 13, 15, 505, and 1140, all from 2021.

The first two also want to criminalize queuing up for vaccination.

The last two, on the other hand, criminalize the application of a false dose of vaccine or the simulation of its application.

1140 was proposed by Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP), former Minister of the Civil House.