São Paulo and Bahia States Lead Vaccination Race in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Two Brazilian states stood out on the first vaccination day after the whole country received doses of Coronavac, the immunizer developed by Sinovac in partnership with the Butantan Institute. São Paulo and Bahia accounted for 98.7% of all immunized people in the country by Tuesday afternoon, January 19th.

To date, Brazil has vaccinated 9,775 people aged 60 and over, disabled inpatients, the indigenous population, and healthcare workers. São Paulo and Bahia alone have immunized 9,647 of the total.

The first state to start the immunization process on Sunday, January 17th, São Paulo is the leader of the list. São Paulo had already vaccinated 8,250 people by 6 PM this Tuesday. The number represents 84.4% of the total in the country.

Bahia, which only began immunization on Tuesday morning, was more effective than other states that decided only to perform symbolic ceremonies. Unlike Rio de Janeiro, which decided to hold a ceremony by the feet of Christ the Redeemer, and Goiás, which had its first dose administered by Governor Ronaldo Caiado – the two have only vaccinated five people so far combined – Bahia took the plan seriously and has already immunized 1,397 people (14.3% of the total).

São Paulo is the only state that has set up a website to disclose the vaccination data so far. The figures for the other 25 states plus the Federal District are updated by the Coronavirus Brazil website and verified by VEJA magazine with the State Secretariats.

Searching for the report, the Bahia Health Secretariat press office states that it is experiencing difficulties to compile the data, because the Ministry of Health “has not yet provided a national system for the registration of doses administered”, which is “another requirement of the National Immunization Program that is not being met”.

As a result, the body claims not to have access to the number of Bahian citizens who have already been vaccinated, but confirms that all 417 cities in the state have already received the immunizer.

Source: Veja

More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error