Bolsonarists begin 2022 with bold offensive against vaccination card in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On the first day of the resumption of legislative work after the parliamentary recess, Bolsonarist deputies continued their offensive against the so-called vaccination card.

Thus, on Wednesday, February 2, deputy Caroline de Toni submitted a project to prohibit “the requirement of a vaccination pass against Covid-19 as a condition for exercising rights.”

In the text, the MP proposes prohibiting the presentation of a vaccination card required for various activities. These include entering commercial companies, signing employment contracts, and even allowing Brazilians to enter and leave the country.

“Although vaccination, albeit with distorted criteria, has become a social reality (since the vast majority of the population is already vaccinated), there is no rational reason for the introduction of health passports to follow the same path since this represents a clear irrationality, and worse, a dangerous discrimination against Brazilian citizens who do not pose a threat to society,” said the deputy in the justification of the project.

Caroline de Toni also uses the project to criticize the vaccination of children and adolescents, pointing out that more vaccine doses are supposedly needed to combat the disease effectively.

The fight against the vaccination card is one of the main targets of recent criticism by Jair Bolsonaro and his allies. The president called the measure a “collar.”

“We ask ourselves: why the vaccination card? Why this collar that they want to put on the Brazilian people? Where is our freedom? I would rather die than lose my freedom,” the president said last December.

PROGRESSIVE EUROPEANS DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THE VACCINATION PASSPORT

In Europe, where it looked as if the vaccination passport would be introduced everywhere for several months, many progressive and socially advanced countries are beginning to remove covid restrictions and vaccination passports. Denmark, the UK, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Irish provinces have already announced such a withdrawal.

On the other hand, ultra-conservative Austria, known for centuries to be volatile, radical, and starting point of wars, is driving the country up the wall with compulsory vaccination.

In Germany, politicians would like to follow the Austrian example, but more and more associations, specialists, and media are waking up from their trance and speaking out against the planned measures.