Covid-19: Brazil’s Health Minister rejects new booster dose; WHO sees risk of Omicron variant spreading

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Minister of Health Marcelo Queiroga said on Monday, November 29, that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, detected in South Africa, will not be different from others previously identified.

The measure is being considered in the UK, for one. Also on Monday, the government announced the signing of a new contract with Pfizer for the purchase of an additional 100 million doses in 2022.

“You can’t want self-service science. For some things, you want A-level scientific evidence. For others, you don’t have evidence, only the opinion of a municipal secretary. It can’t be like that,” he criticized during an event in the capital of Bahia on Monday.

W.H.O.

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) on Monday said that the Omicron poses a “high global risk,” but stressed that there are uncertainties about its real threat. The strain has prompted an alert due to the high number of mutations, but scientists say its ability to spread and escape vaccine protection is still to be investigated.

Queiroga said he has talked to W.H.O. Director-General Tedros Adhanom about the variant and that he does not see the prospect of “setbacks” in Brazil in relation to the first and second waves of the pandemic, which were more lethal.

“We don’t think it’s going to be any different from the other variants. The solution is vaccination. We have a health system capable of responding in case this variant has a higher lethality,” he stated. He also said that despite being classified as a variant of concern by the W.H.O., the Omicron should not be seen as a “variant of despair.”

“The Ministry of Health is vigilant and prepared for these new demands. Variants can emerge anywhere. The precautions are the same as those adopted since the beginning of the pandemic,” Queiroga added. Brazil is investigating a suspected Omicron-infected case, but is awaiting test results.

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