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On Thursday (17), President Jair Bolsonaro signed an MP (Provisional Measure) that allocates R $ 20 billion to the Ministry of Health, resources that will be used to buy vaccines against Covid-19.
The signing took place during the inauguration ceremony, in the Planalto Palace, of the new Minister of Tourism, Gilson Machado.
The MP was expected and the money should be used to fund the national immunization plan against the virus. According to Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy), the amount is necessary to cover the mass immunization of the population.
According to the Planalto Palace, the R $ 20 billion will cover “expenses with the purchase of vaccine doses, syringes, needles, logistics, communication and all the necessary expenses to vaccinate the population.” “This amount is not intended for any specific vaccine and can be used in accordance with the planning and needs of the Ministry of Health,” says the government, in a note.
Also according to Planalto, the release of the extraordinary loan will allow the authorities to acquire the first vaccines that receive the certification of Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency).
The government also explained that while the MP needs congressional approval, the text goes into effect immediately, and therefore the resources will be available immediately.
The new version of the national immunization plan was presented on Wednesday (16).
The launch took place amid the politicization of vaccination and with Bolsonaro leading a speech raising questions about immunization.
The Ministry of Health also announced on Wednesday the inclusion of Coronavac, from the Butantan Institute, in Brazil’s list of adherence to vaccines.
The list also mentions vaccines from Oxford, Pfizer BioNTech, Bharat Biotech, Moderna and Janssen, in addition to the Covax Facility consortium of the WHO (World Health Organization).
