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The Minister of Health, General Eduardo Pazuello, joked today when asked what vaccine the federal government intends to start the national immunization program against covid-19. Even without any immunizer having submitted to Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) the result of the clinical tests that can guarantee the definitive registration, the plan remains undefined.
“That is the million dollar question,” Pazuello said in an interview with CNN Brazil.
The minister’s reference is to the television program “Quem Quer Ser Um Milionário” (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire), which is now broadcast on TV Globo in Brazil. In the early 2000s, SBT also exhibited the “Show do Milhão” with a similar format, in which a question and answer game has the most important question worth R $ 1 million.
“We are doing everything possible to streamline the process. And this work involves prospecting what is happening. What do we really have today? We do not have a vaccine registered in the world, it is not that we do not have it in Brazil, it is in the world”. added the minister.
Pazuello recalled that countries such as the United Kingdom, which began its vaccination yesterday, have so far only had an authorization for the emergency use of an immunizer against covid-19. In the case of the British, the vaccine applied is that of Pfizer / Biontech.
“We need growers to complete phase three [dos estudos clínicos] and enter these registration processes in ordinary organizations, in the case of Brazil, Anvisa or ordinary international organizations. This means that we can have authorization for use ”, explained the minister.
Vaccine race
In Brazil, until a few days ago the federal government was betting with all its chips on the Oxford vaccine, which will have an investment of almost R $ 2 billion. The immunizer is developed by the AstraZeneca laboratory in association with the University of Oxford and will be produced in Brazil by Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz), a federal institution.
This week, however, the Ministry of Health has indicated that it is trying to reach an agreement with Pfizer to receive the first doses of the immunizer in December or January. For the application, however, the vaccine needs an emergency authorization from Anvisa, which until now has not been requested by any immunizer.
Meanwhile, CoronaVac continues to be depleted to remain part of the PNI (National Immunization Program). The vaccine is developed by the Butantan Institute in association with the Chinese laboratory Sinovac and became the great banner of the São Paulo governor, João Doria (PSDB), since Butantan is linked to the São Paulo administration.
The day before yesterday, Doria announced a state vaccination program with CoronaVac, scheduled to begin on January 25. Until then, the São Paulo government hopes to receive approval for Anvisa’s registration, but it also does not rule out requesting an emergency use authorization.
