Brazil’s Bolsonaro criticizes industry pressure for vaccine booster doses, says they should be free

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday (30) raised questions on whether the pressure for people to be vaccinated against Covid-19 could be driven by economic interests and used the opportunity to advocate that the third dose, recommended for certain groups, be provided free of charge.

To support his argument, the President cited national media reports on the potential profits of pharmaceutical companies from vaccination and booster doses.

“Why the pressure for vaccines? Is it a business interest?” wondered Bolsonaro, in his traditional weekly live stream on social networks.

“Come on, people, wasn’t one or two doses enough? Didn’t companies say that would be it? Well, if there is a third dose, it should be free, shouldn’t it? Isn’t that the consumer’s right?”

The President, who has been challenging the effectiveness of vaccines since last year and has stated that he sees no need for the Covid-19 immunizer, said he would not be “politically correct” or “play with other people’s lives” and reiterated that there are people with two vaccine doses who have contracted the disease and died.

He also again advocated alternative treatment options against Covid, without directly citing the names of the drugs.